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Living With Family

Students who live at home or with family have a lower cost of attendance, since the budgeted room and board cost is lower than living in the dorms or an off-campus apartment. The commuter cost of attendance includes an allowance toward room/board expenses, as well as transportation costs related to commuting to and from campus. However, because total costs are lower, your financial aid package will be also be lower; the reduction to your aid package will be proportional across all forms of aid (scholarship, work-study, etc.).

If you choose to live at home or with family while enrolled at Northwestern, your family contribution will not change. Your family contribution is always calculated based on your financial aid application materials and is not impacted by your living arrangements.

Please note that new students and second year students must fulfill the two-year residency requirement. If upper division students choose to live at home or with family while enrolled at Northwestern, your family contribution will not change

For example:

"Regular" Financial Aid (Residence Hall/Apartment) Living with Family & Commuting
Cost of Attendance $91,290 Cost of Attendance $73,842
Expected Family Contribution $15,000 Expected Family Contribution
(stays the same)
$15,000
Financial Need $76,290 Financial Need $58,842
    Federal Work-Study $3,600     Federal Work-Study $2,775
    Northwestern Scholarship $72,690     Northwestern Scholarship $56,067
Total Financial Aid $76,290 Total Financial Aid $58,842
If you are considering living at home or with family, you are encouraged to contact our office to request an estimate of how your financial aid might be impacted.