International Students FAQs

Need-based aid is awarded to a small group of first-year international students each year. These students must indicate on their admissions application that they wish to be considered for this limited assistance program. Only those admitted to this program when applying to the University are eligible for this financial assistance; current international students who do not receive financial aid are ineligible to apply.

While international students are not eligible for US Federal Student Loans, they may be eligible for other loans through private lenders. Northwestern’s Office of Student Finance has a list of private lenders that students may explore as options for financing their education. The list of loans provided on their site is a starting point for research, and students may continue their research with other lenders in the US or in their home country.

Enter Illinois (IL) because you will be living here while attending school.

Please enter mailing addresses in the same format that you would like to have them appear on an envelope. The country will be printed on the last line of the address on the envelope, although it is specified first on the loan application. Your promissory notes will be mailed to you, so it is important that the postal service is able to route and deliver your mail based on the address you enter on you loan applications.

General format for entry of international addresses:

• COUNTRY
• Street address, post office box number, and possibly town
• City or town name, province, state, or county, and postal code

International students who do not already have a valid Social Security number are assigned a temporary number. This number is similar in format to a Social Security number but starts with the digits '99'. You may apply for a loan with the temporary number.

To comply with Section 6109 of the Internal Revenue Service's Code, the Office of the Registrar, in conjunction with Student Finance, requests that you do one of the following:

• Log on to CAESAR with your NetID and password and navigate to the "My National ID" page via the "Personal Profile" pagelet. Enter your Social Security number in the field provided and press "Save." Navigate to the "My Names" page in CAESAR and verify that your primary name matches the name on your government-issued ID card.
• Bring your original SSN card and a photo ID (Driver's License, State ID, Passport, Wildcard) to your registrar's office. Evanston undergraduates and graduate students should go to the Office of the Registrar, Rebecca Crown Center, 633 Clark Street. Students in Feinberg, Kellogg, Law, and SPS should go to the registrar or records office in their home schools.

Once Student Finance and the Registrar Office update their records, we will then continue to process your loan.

If you are not eligible for a Social Security card:

• Submit an Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (Form W-7) to the Internal Revenue Service indicating that you are seeking an ITIN for purposes of reporting educational loan interest paid.
• If you are receiving a stipend, please also forward a copy of Form W-7 to Payroll.

If you are an international student and cannot provide a reference with a US address, you may provide a reference with an international address.

The US Visa Number is a 14 digit alphanumeric identifier that is assigned to you by the US Department of State. It can be found on your passport document and is listed as the control number. In most instances it starts with a 2, followed by a series of numbers and letters. Please make sure you enter O (capital O) and 0 (zero) correctly. Zero is shown as a character with a line through it.

Yes. However, international students receiving financial aid are not eligible to use their Northwestern aid to study in their home country or country of residence. Exceptions will only be granted upon receipt of a written appeal, which must include an academic rationale and a letter of support from an academic advisor. Exclusions apply. Visit the Global Learning Office (GLO) website for more information.