Financial Aid

Graduate Student Financial Aid FAQ  

Steps for Requesting Financial Aid

To apply for federal financial aid, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the appropriate academic year and submit the University Aid Application (UApp) found in your CAESAR To Do List.

If you do not plan to or are ineligible for federal financial aid, but plan to utilize private loans, please complete the UApp and apply for the loan.

Please Note: we are not automatically notified of private loan approvals and you will need to submit a private loan intake form.

When will I receive my financial aid offer?

Initial financial aid offers based on the estimated cost of attendance will be sent to admitted MSJ and full-time IMC students within a week of their acceptance.

Once you complete all the steps to request financial aid, you will receive an email to your Northwestern University email address within 2 weeks directing you to your CAESAR to view your official financial aid offer and complete the Accept/Decline process.

What scholarships are available?

For MSJ and full-time IMC students, scholarships are awarded at the time of matriculation. Other scholarship and grant opportunities may be available to students throughout the academic year. We will notify you of any opportunities as they become available.

There are no scholarships available for IMC Professional students.

When is my bill due?

Bills are sent to your Northwestern University email address from Student Finance on the 10^th of the month and are due the following 1^st of the month. Please see this page for more information about due dates.

How do I pay my bill?

You can pay your bill through CAESAR using an eCheck from a US-based checking or savings account, a credit card, or a debit card. Please note: there is a 2.6% fee for all credit card and debit card payments. Please see this page for more information and instructions.

You can also pay your bill via check or money order by mailing it to the university. Please see this page for more information and instructions.

To pay your bill utilizing international currency, please see this page for instructions.

What do I do if my employer is reimbursing my tuition charges?

Please see this page for more information about the Employer Reimbursement Plan (ERP). If you have questions about employer reimbursement, please contact Student Finance.

How do I view my financial aid offer?

To view your financial aid offer:

·      Log into CAESAR 

·      Select: Financial Aid > View My Financial Aid

·      Select the appropriate academic year

Your financial aid totals for the entire academic year will be listed at the top of the page. Below the yearly totals is a breakdown by term. Loan funds are normally distributed equally between all quarters. Click on View Scheduled Disbursement to see the net disbursement amount (minus any loan origination fees) that will disburse to your Northwestern University Customer Account each term. Click on Financial Aid Eligibility to view your Cost of Attendance.

Contact our office if:

·      The tuition amount (on which your loan offer is based) is too low or too high; for example, your loan amount was based on full-time enrollment and you plan to register half-time.

·      You have loan disbursements scheduled for a quarter during which you will be enrolled less than half-time. You must be enrolled at least half-time to maintain your in-school status and eligibility for federal student loans.

·      You have other funding that is not referenced.

·      You need to change the quarterly distribution of the loan amount; for example, you need more loan funds in one term and less in another term.

How do I accept or decline my financial aid offer?

To accept or decline the loans you were offered:

1.        Log into CAESAR 

2.        Select: Financial Aid > Accept/Decline Financial Aid

3.        Select the appropriate academic year
IMPORTANT: Note the equal distribution of your loan funds between the quarters. Although you can reduce the overall loan amount when you accept your loan(s) on CAESAR, you cannot change the loan distribution. You must contact our office to adjust individual loan disbursements.

·      To reduce a loan amount, check the “Accept” box to the right of the loan you want to change. The amount will activate for adjustment. If you have more than one loan type, loans should be declined or reduced based on their interest rates and origination fees.

·      Click "Submit" and answer "Yes" to the subsequent questions until you receive confirmation of successful submission.

Student loans can always be reduced or canceled. If you are unsure of the amount you will need, you can accept the maximum amount offered and reduce/cancel the loan(s) later. All accrued interest and fees on federal loans are reversed when loan funds are returned within 120 days of the date the loan funds were disbursed to your Northwestern University Customer Account.

Contact our office to request a loan adjustment. We will always reduce/cancel the highest interest rate loans first (within federal regulations). 

Where do I find a lender for a private student loan?

A number of private outside agencies offer students alternative sources for financing their education. Unlike federal loans, the terms of private loans are set by the individual lenders. The interest rate and fees are determined by your credit history, your debt-to-income ratio and that of your co-signer. 

The Preferred lender list is a starting point for you to begin your research. Ultimately, the lender you choose will depend on your unique needs. You are encouraged to investigate the lending options available to you and compare lenders. Our office will process a loan with any lender you have selected regardless of their inclusion on this list as long as you are eligible for the loan. Additionally:

·      Northwestern does not recommend, prefer, or endorse any lender, product, or loan type. 

·      Inclusion or omission of a lender on this list does not represent a recommendation. 

·      In accordance with Northwestern’s lender code of conduct, staff will not steer you to any specific lender. 

·      Private loans can only be certified for one academic year at a time.

·      Pay special attention to your lending needs as eligibility criteria will vary depending on lender.

How do I certify my private student loan?

The certification of private loans can take 2 to 3 weeks to finalize depending on the completion of the steps below. We recommend that students apply for a private loan at least 1 month prior to the start of their given term.

1.        Complete the Application steps for your program (if applicable)

2.        Research lenders based on your situation (past due balance, below-half-time enrollment, last semester in school, etc.)

3.        Once you select a lender, discuss your specific eligibility with your chosen lender before applying to ensure that you qualify for funding and disbursement

4.        When you have an approved loan, notify our office by completing the Medill Private Loan Intake Form.

5.        Our office will work with you to finalize your financial aid offer letter up to your cost of attendance.

a.        This means that we can only certify your private loan up to the cost of your attendance based on enrollment and other aid accepted.

6.        Private loan certifications take 2 to 3 weeks to finalize. Once your loan has been certified, you will receive a confirmation email.

My FAFSA was selected for verification. What do I do?

If your FAFSA was selected for verification, you will need to reach out to our office to schedule a verification appointment. We can complete this virtually or in-person and will need to review a valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport.

Where do I send outside scholarship checks?

Scholarships should be made out to Northwestern University and include the 7-digit Northwestern ID number on the scholarship check or accompanying award letter. We cannot process checks without the student’s information.

Please send outside scholarship checks to:

Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid

Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications

1845 Sheridan Road, 104B

Evanston, IL 60208

How do I waive the Student Health Insurance (NU-SHIP)?

Please see this page for instructions on how to waive NU-SHIP. During peak enrollment periods, there can be a delay in processing the waiver. Please contact the Student Insurance Office if you have questions.

How can I request additional financial aid?

You can request financial aid up to your total cost of attendance. If you previously declined aid, you can request that be reoffered to you by emailing Medill Financial Aid.

If your personal expenses exceed the standard cost of attendance, you can request a budget adjustment. Please note, submitting an appeal for a budget adjustment does not guarantee that your request will be approved.

When will my financial aid be disbursed?

Aid will disburse to your CAESAR account the week before classes begin as long as you have eligible enrollment for that term and have completed all necessary steps. Please check your To-Do list to ensure you have no outstanding tasks.

Student Finance will email your Northwestern email address when your aid has been disbursed.

How do I request a refund for my financial aid?

Student Finance will email you when your aid has been disbursed and typically will automatically refund any funds beyond tuition and fees during the first few weeks of the term to either your direct deposit, if set up in CAESAR, or will mail a check to the address listed in your CAESAR account. Once they send the refund, you will receive an email from Student Finance to your Northwestern email address.

If you would like to manually request a refund, please see this page for step-by-step instructions.

How do I add my direct deposit information to CAESAR and/or update my address in CAESAR?

To add or update your direct deposit information in CAESAR, please see this page for step-by-step instructions.

To update your address in CAESAR, please follow these steps:

1.        Log into your CAESAR account

2.        Go to Profile

3.        Go to Addresses

From here you will be able to change your current, permanent and, if applicable, billing addresses. The changes are immediate to the database.

How do I view my 1098-T form?

You can find instructions on how to view and print your 1098-T form on this page.

Maintaining Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress

Medill graduate students are held to all policies and procedures outlined in the Northwestern University Student Handbook. Students using Title IV Funds (Federal Stafford and Graduate PLUS Loans) and/or Medill grants or scholarships to fund their Medill education must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) to maintain their financial aid eligibility.

Students are considered to be making satisfactory academic progress if they complete at least 66 percent units of approved graduate credits per quarter with at least a 3.0 grade point average. Students receiving a grade of C+, C or C- or a current cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 will be placed on academic probation by the department chair for their specific graduate program. They will be allowed to continue their studies for an additional quarter to re-establish satisfactory academic standing, unless they are in the final quarter of their degree program. Students who have not achieved a 3.0 cumulative grade point average by the end of their final quarter will not be eligible for graduation. Any student who receives a cumulative total of three grades of C (C+,C, C-) or a grade of F is automatically dismissed from the program.

Financial aid may be jeopardized by a student's failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined above.

SAP Policy

Federal and state regulations require recipients of financial aid to maintain satisfactory academic progress in their program of study. It is the University's expectation that students will make progress towards completion of the degree in which they are enrolled.

Medill students must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress in three fundamental ways:

1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher

The Satisfactory Academic Progress regulations require that you maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) in order to remain eligible for financial aid. This cumulative GPA is a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

If you drop below a cumulative GPA of 3.0, you will be placed in financial aid warning. While in financial aid warning, you will continue to receive your financial aid for one additional academic term, but you will need to bring your GPA above a 3.0 by the end of the warning term.

2. Complete program within a specified period of time

Students have a maximum timeframe of 150 percent of the length of their standard program to complete their degree requirements. For example, if a program is four quarters full-time academic quarters, a student attending full-time may not exceed six quarters of full-time academic quarters to complete their degree.

All periods of enrollment are counted toward the maximum number of terms. Periods of academic leave or non-enrollment will not count against the maximum terms of enrollment.

Repeated coursework is counted in the same manner as all other coursework for the purpose of satisfactory academic progress. Periods of academic leave or non-enrollment will not count against the maximum terms of enrollment.

Students who have completed all required coursework for his or her degree but have not yet received the degree cannot receive further federal or state financial aid for that program. Students who register for recognized optional additional quarters will remain eligible for federal financial aid.

Students must be on track to complete their degree within their maximum time-frame in order to maintain their financial aid eligibility.

Students who have questions about determining their personal maximum timeframe may contact the Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid at medillgraduateadmissions@northwestern.edu.

3. Complete 66 percent of all credits attempted per academic quarter

In order to meet the minimum standard of academic progress each academic term, students must complete at least two-thirds of the credits attempted per academic term.

Courses dropped after the end of the drop/add period will be counted towards credits attempted. Grades of D, F, Y (incomplete), W (withdrawal) or X (unofficial withdrawal) do not satisfy the requirements for the two-thirds completion rate.

Evaluation of Satisfactory Academic Progress

Evaluation of satisfactory academic progress is made at the end each term by Medill's Office of Student Life and the Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid once grades are published in the University system. SAP progress will be evaluated up to four times per academic year. Medill's Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid will review the list with the Director of the Office of Student Life prior to communicating to the students the effect of the Satisfactory Academic Progress on their financial aid.

SAP Warning

If a student fails to meet the requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress for any academic term, he/she is placed on SAP warning for one academic term. During this warning period, the student will still be eligible for federal financial aid and institutional grant aid but the student must meet the following criteria:

1. Complete all credits attempted during the following term with a grade of B or higher.
2. Maintain or earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
3. Be on track to complete their degree within their maximum allowed timeframe.

The student will be notified by the Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid via their Northwestern email account that the student has been placed on SAP warning.

SAP Suspension

Students who do not meet the terms of their SAP warning period by achieving a grade point average of 3.0 or higher will academically dismissed from the program as stated above. Once a student meets all requirements for reinstatement of financial aid after a suspension, it is the student's responsibility to contact Medill's Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid to request a SAP review for reinstatement of federal and institutional aid eligibility. Once the Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid determines that a student is now compliant with SAP requirements, aid will be reinstated for the following academic terms.

Appeals

If a student fails to meet the SAP requirements as stated above due to extenuating circumstances such as a family member's death or illness (of the student or immediate family member), etc., the student may submit a written appeal to Medill's Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid to MedillFinAid@northwestern.edu. The appeal must be received by the Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid prior to the first day of the subsequent academic term.

The written appeal should explain any relevant extraordinary circumstances, address the reason(s) for failing to meet the minimum academic requirements, and offer some solution to the problems that affected prior academic performance. Supporting documentation, such as statements from academic advisers, professors, professional health care workers, etc. may also be requested. The appeal will be reviewed by a committee chaired by the director and associate director of graduate admissions and financial aid. All decisions made by the committee are final. Students will be notified if their appeal is granted or denied via an email to their Northwestern email account and letter.

If an appeal is granted, the student will be placed in one of two categories:

1. SAP Probation

If a student is placed on SAP probation after an appeal, the student will be eligible for aid during one additional academic term. During the probationary period, the student must meet all SAP requirements. If the student fails to meet SAP during their probationary period, their aid will be suspended without the ability to appeal. In order to reinstate federal financial aid eligibility after a SAP suspension, students must meet the criteria for reinstatement listed above without the use of federal financial aid.

2. SAP Academic Plan

Students may be placed on an academic improvement plan upon submission of a successful appeal. If it is mathematically impossible for a student to resolve all deficiencies during one term of attendance and the student's reason for appeal is appropriate according to federal regulations, the student may be placed on an academic improvement plan with the end goal being to resolve all deficiencies. An academic improvement plan varies in length and is determined by the SAP committee. It does not have to equate to the exact number of terms it would take a student to resolve all deficiencies. If the student is meeting the criteria identified in the SAP appeal approval at each term review, the student's academic improvement plan may be extended.

Special Considerations for First-time Financial Aid Applicants

Current students who apply for financial aid are required to meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements. If you are a currently enrolled student but have not received federal financial aid for previous terms of enrollment in your current program, you are considered to be a first-time financial aid applicant. Your previous coursework must meet the minimum academic progress requirements.  If it does not, you will need to complete a SAP appeal for first-time aid filers. Your appeal should include the following:

• Description of a specific reason, event or circumstance that prevented you from meeting the academic progress requirements
• A specific plan/corrective action to improve your academic progress.

Questions

If you have questions regarding the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy as it applies to financial aid, please reach out to Patric Morris, Medill associate director of graduate admissions and financial aid.

Financial regulations

View the University's financial regulations for more information on policies that affect Northwestern students.

Maintaining satisfactory academic progress

See the Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid policy on satisfactory academic progress

Financial regulations

View the University's financial regulations for more information on policies that affect Northwestern students.