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Special Circumstances Review Request

The amount of financial aid you receive is determined by the information in your financial aid application. In some cases, your family might experience a change in financial circumstances not reflected in your original application. These circumstances might include:

  • Job loss by a parent
  • A significant reduction in income for a parent
  • Significant medical expenses not covered by insurance

Please know that you have the right to pursue an adjustment to your federal financial aid eligibility based on these circumstances. Federal guidance labels these as "Special Circumstances" that might justify a request for consideration. We also will consider these requests for an increase in our own aid from the university itself. Increases in aid might be in the form of a loan, student employment, or scholarship/grant funding. Please note that our ability to help depends on available resources.

In some cases, sufficient time must pass before a decision can be made. A recent job loss might soon be followed by new employment; therefore, a review might be delayed for an appropriate amount of time, generally at least eight weeks.


How to Request an Aid Review for Loss of Income

If you have significant new information about your financial circumstances, you can submit that to us using one of the following online forms (depending on the academic year):

2025-26 Aid Review for Loss of Income Form

2026-27 Aid Review for Loss of Income Form

Please note, we strongly recommend that taxes and other sensitive documents are submitted via the secure document upload in the form, not via email.


Response Time

Responses might take two to three weeks from the date of receipt, with some exceptions:

  • Current Students: Each year the financial aid office will begin releasing financial aid decisions for the next academic year by March. Requests for review based on loss of income from students who have received their initial award will be reviewed as soon as possible but, generally, not until May.  
  • Early Decision: As you know, your Early Decision admission is binding.  You cannot be released from your contract unless there are mitigating financial circumstances. Please submit requests in a timely manner so we can provide you with necessary information.
  • Regular Decision: The tuition deposit deadline is May 1, so please submit all requests with sufficient time so that we can provide you with helpful information. We will make every effort to be quick and efficient in our communication efforts.

 

HOUSE Liaison Services & Resources for Students Experiencing Homelessness or in Foster Care

In compliance with the Illinois Higher Education Housing and Opportunities Act and federal reporting requirements, Northwestern University has designated a Housing and Opportunities that are Useful for Students’ Excellence (HOUSE) Liaison to assist students who are experiencing homelessness or who are or have been in foster care. This page is publicly viewable without Northwestern credentials.

Northwestern HOUSE Liaison:
Adom Harris, Director of Financial Aid Operations
Email: adom.harris@northwestern.edu
Office: 1801 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60208
Phone: 847-491-7400

As the HOUSE Liaison, Adom can help connect students to campus and community services that support housing stability, financial resources, and basic needs.

Campus Support Services that May Assist:

These services are available to any current Northwestern student, including those experiencing housing insecurity or basic needs instability. While offices like SASS or NUhelp are not exclusively for homeless or foster care students, they can assist with referrals and support across housing, financial, wellness, and community resources.

For national or state support related to homelessness, foster care, or federal aid guidance, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) provides a public list of HOUSE Liaison contacts for colleges: https://www.ibhe.org/HOUSE_Liaisons.html