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Feinberg School of Medicine MD Students

An overview of the financial aid application process for incoming, accepted first-year MD students.

Note this information applies to domestic students only. View application instructions for international students.

Priority Deadline

All financial aid application materials must be submitted by:

  • February 16, 2026 for students admitted on or around December 1, 2025
  • March 16, 2026 for students admitted on or around March 1, 2026
  • Within 5 days of admission for students admitted after March 16, 2026

*Students who submit their application materials after the deadline may not qualify for all financial aid programs based on the availability of funds.

Application steps

  1. Complete the FAFSA
  2. Complete the CSS Profile
  3. Complete items on To Do Checklist
  4. Receive preliminary aid offer
  5. Review your financial aid offer via CAESAR

1. Complete the FAFSA

Priority Deadline: Based on admission date listed above 

  1. Complete the 2026-27 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) using your FSA ID user name and password.If you do not already have an FSA ID, you will need to set one up. 
  2. Add our federal school code: (001739 Northwestern University - Evanston).
  3. Monitor your FAFSA submission status by logging into studentaid.gov. Your FAFSA status will appear under "My Activity" on your dashboard.
    1. After the FAFSA is processed, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS).
    2. Resolve any incorrect information via studentaid.gov or by returning the corrected and signed FSS.

2. Complete the CSS Profile

Priority Deadline: Based on admission date listed above 

The CSS Profile is used to assist in determining eligibility for institutional need-based grants. If you do not wish to be considered for institutional need-based grants but do wish to apply only for federal student loans, then you only need to complete the FAFSA along with the Chicago Office of Financial Aid's short-form University Aid Application. Please contact us to request the short-form University Aid Application.

  1. Complete the online CSS Profile.
    1. The application can take up to 45 minutes to complete. You may save your progress and return at a later time if needed.
  2. The Feinberg School of Medicine's CSS Code is 1600. Do not use any other code for Northwestern programs, as the codes are school-specific.
    1. Note: Northwestern university does not offer CSS Profile fee waivers 
  3. To complete the application, you will need:
    1. Your most recently completed tax returns
    2. W-2 forms and other records of current year income
    3. Records of untaxed income, benefits and assets
    4. Bank statements

Dependency Status

  • Students aged 26 (as of August 1, 2026) and older are not required to provide parental information.
  • Students under the age of 26 (as of August 1, 2026) must provide parental information if they wish to be considered for institutional need-based grants.
    • Parent income and asset information for a student whose parents are divorced or separated, but not remarried, is determined by including only the income and assets of the parent who provides the greater portion of the student's financial support.
Parent Income Exception:

Most exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis by the Director of Financial Aid and are extremely rare. Exceptions for married, military and veteran students are outlined below. If you believe your individual circumstances should merit Independent Student consideration, please contact us.

Married Students
If you are married (as of October 1, 2026) and your spouse is not a student, submit you and your spouse's income information.
  • If your spouse is a student, you will still need to submit your parents' information.
Active Military/Veteran Students

If you are active duty military or a veteran, you do not need to submit your parents' information.


3. Complete items on To Do Checklist

Priority Deadline: Based on admission date listed above 

Submit all items via the secure document upload portal. Note that CAESAR will update to reflect received documents within 3-5 business days of submission. Once you have your NetID from Admissions, you can check the status of your application. 

Student income information

  • If you filed an Income Tax return for 2024, upload:
    • Signed copies of your 2024 Federal Income Tax return
    • 2024 W-2 forms.
    • If you completed your federal tax return electronically, print, sign and upload a copy of your tax return.

Or

*If you will be married by October 2026, you must also submit a copy of your spouse's 2024 Federal Income Tax return.

Parent income information

  • Students age 26 or older (as of August 1, 2026) are not required to upload parental tax documentation.
    • If you meet the age requirement, items on your To Do list related to parent tax information will be waived when your account is reviewed
  • Students under the age of 26 (as of August 1, 2026), upload the following parent income information (based on the criteria above):
    • Signed Parent(s) 2024 Federal Income Tax return 
    • Parent(s) 2024 W-2 forms.
      • If your parent completed their federal tax return electronically, they will need to print and sign their tax return before uploading a copy.

Or

  • If your parent(s) have not yet filed or were not required to file their 2024 Federal Income Tax return, upload the following:

Dependents with Divorced Parents
  • Parent income and asset information for a student whose parents are divorced or separated, but not remarried, is determined by including only the income and assets of the parent who provides the greater portion of the student's financial support.

4. Receive preliminary financial aid offer

  • Once all application requirements are submitted, Northwestern will determine your financial aid eligibility and financial aid offer letter.
  • The Chicago Office of Financial Aid (CFAO) releases preliminary financial aid packages by email to your Northwestern email account on a rolling basis beginning in early-to-mid March for students admitted in December, and late March for students admitted after January 1. No action is required on your preliminary aid offer.

5. Review your financial aid offer via CAESAR

Deadline: As soon as possible after you receive your official financial aid notice email

  • Once tuition and fee figures are finalized for the upcoming academic year, CFAO release official financial aid offer letter. Learn more about how aid is determined.
  • Official financial aid offer letters are sent to Northwestern email accounts in early Summer.
  • Upon notification, you must accept or decline the loan assistance offered to you for the academic year via CAESAR.