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 |