Accepting or Declining Your Aid Award

After our office processes your financial aid award, most students will receive an e-mail at your Northwestern e-mail address titled "Important 2011-12 (or 2012-13) Northwestern Financial Aid Award Notice."

This section provides more detail about each of the items on your Award Notice, which should be thoroughly reviewed before accepting, declining or reducing your financial aid Award Notice.

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Understanding Your Financial Aid Offer

The financial assistance offered to you will specify amounts for the following items:

Monthly Budget Allowances

A standard educational budget is used for all students, and it covers the period of enrollment. The budget is a total based on:

  • The actual tuition rates for your program
  • Average costs for room and board, textbooks/supplies, personal expenses, transportation, and loan fees. (Fees and textbooks/supplies will vary among programs)
  • Entering Law and Medical student budgets also include an allowance to purchase a computer

Total Family Contribution

The family contribution is determined using your family's financial information as reported on the application documents you submitted, as well as your period of enrollment.

Nonacademic Year (summer) Earnings for Medical Students

Northwestern University expects all medical students to be employed during the summer if they are not enrolled in course work. A portion of summer earnings should be saved as a contribution toward educational expenses for the coming academic year. This contribution will be waived only for unique circumstances approved by the Committee on Financial Aid to Students or for students enrolled during the summer months (third- and fourth-year students). Schools and programs have different summer earnings or "self-help" requirements.

Responding to your Financial Aid Offer: All Medical (non-dual degree), Law, Part-time MBA Program, Physical Therapy, Prosthetics/Orthotics, Physician Assistant, SCS Graduate and SCS Undergraduate Students

Accept, decline or reduce your financial aid award electronically. This must be done every time you receive a Financial Aid Award Notice e-mail from our office. Do not return the paper (PDF) award notice to our office.

  1. Log onto CAESAR using your Northwestern e-mail account NetID and password.
  2. Navigate to For Students > Financial Services > Accept/Decline Financial Aid Package. Select the appropriate aid year.
  3. Accept, decline or reduce your financial aid award package.
  4. When you submit your award notice electronically, we recommend that you select "yes" to the Statement of Authorization. You may rescind your authorization at any time by contacting the Office of Student Accounts.
  5. Determine which, if any, loan materials you need to complete by checking your "To Do" items. Your outstanding "To Do" items can be reviewed in CAESAR by going to Financial Services, To Do Item History, and selecting the appropriate financial aid year.

About the Statement of Authorization: Current federal regulations require that we obtain your authorization to use Title IV assistance (i.e., federal loans) to pay University charges other than tuition, fees, room and board. Such charges might include the student health plan, library fines, parking charges, room damage charges, and health service fees. Not providing the authorization means that you will have to make the payment for these charges yourself once you receive the refund of Title IV aid.

Responding to your Financial Aid Offer: Medical Dual-Degree Students

  1. Print a copy of your Financial Aid Award via CAESAR under "View my financial aid."
  2. Mark the loans you wish to reject on the front side of your Award Notice. (If a loan is not marked as rejected, we will assume it should be accepted.)
  3. Complete the "Student Agreement" on the backside of the Award Notice. Be sure to sign your notice.
  4. Submit your signed Award Notice to the Office of Financial Aid. You must submit an original copy of the signed award notice either by bringing a copy to the financial aid office or sending a copy via U.S. Mail. The Office of Financial Aid cannot acccept a faxed copy or an e-mail attachment. (This should be done every time you receive a Financial Aid Award Notice from our office unless noted otherwise, keeping the second copy for your records.)
  5. Complete any additional forms listed on your TO DO list in CAESAR as requested.
  6. Submit completed forms and any required supporting documents to the Office of Financial Aid.