General Eligibility
Northwestern University offers financial assistance to students on the basis of demonstrated need. Northwestern is among a small group of institutions that continue to meet the full demonstrated university-defined financial need of our aid applicants.
Financial need is the difference between the cost of attendance and the family contribution, as defined by standards that conform to national norms. Your family contribution is determined by your family's particular financial circumstances.
| Cost of Attendance | – | Family Contribution | = | University Need |
| Cost of attendance includes tuition, fees, housing, food, books and supplies, personal expenses, and transportation. | The amount a family is expected to contribute to the student's cost of attendance, based on a review of the student's financial aid materials. | The expected family contribution is subtracted from the cost of attendance to determine financial need. This amount may be covered by federal, state, private and university assistance. |
If your family contribution is equal to or greater than the cost of attendance, you will not qualify for need-based aid. In these cases, we may be able to recommend other financing options, such as Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, and private loans.
In some unfortunate cases, a student might have suffered in some way such that they have been separated from their parent or parents. Federal guidance defines these cases as "Unusual Circumstances". In these cases, it might be necessary that a student is determined to be "independent" for purposes of federal financial aid. Federal guidance provides examples such as human trafficking, refugee or asylee status, parental abandonment, incarceration of parents...etc. Please contact the office if you are in such a circumstance.