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MSL Program

Applying for financial aid is separate from the admissions process. The MSL program awards scholarship funding for the full-time residential MSL program, while the Chicago Financial Aid Office awards loan funding for all MSL programs. Note this information applies to domestic students only. View application instructions for international students.

  • Students must be enrolled in at least four credits per semester to be eligible for federal student loans.
  • If your enrollment changes during the semester, you must contact our office to ensure your aid offer letter reflects your enrollment correctly
  • To be eligible for federal student loans, you must be enrolled in at least four credits per semester.
    •   You may still be eligible for private loans to cover tuition, fees, and book expenses. To learn more about private loans, visit our Private Loans page.

2026-27 Deadlines

MSL Deadlines 2026-27
Program Funding Type Application Materials Deadline
Full-time Residential MSL Scholarship None required. Email our office to remove application materials on To Do list if you do not want to pursue federal aid. N/A. Considered for scholarship based on academic merit when admitted.
Federal Aid Step 2 & 3 July 1, 2026
Part-time Online MSL Scholarship Not eligible unless you qualify for the MSL-PhD award. N/A. Considered for award during admission process
Federal Aid Step 1 & 2 

Starting Fall 2026: July 1, 2026 

 
Online MSL students Federal Aid Step 1 & 2 

Starting Spring 2026: November 3, 2026 

Importance of meeting deadlines

Meeting the financial aid application deadline listed above ensures that students will receive their financial aid offer, can complete all items on their To Do checklist, and have their funds disburse by the first day of classes. Students can expect their application to be reviewed within 6 weeks of submission.

Note: Applications received after the deadline will be processed in the order in which they were received. Financial aid applications cannot be processed once a term has ended.

Full-Time Residential MSL

  • If you wish to apply for loan funding, complete steps 2-3 below.
  • If you do not wish to be considered for loan funding but do wish to apply only for institutional scholarship funding, you are not required to complete the FAFSA or the University Aid Application. Email our office to have these items removed from your To Do list.
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1. Review your MSL Admission Letter

Applicants to the MSL program are evaluated for merit-based scholarship awards during the admissions process. Recipients of a merit scholarship will receive notification of the award in their admission letter. MSL applicants who do not receive a merit-based scholarship award may be considered for need-based funding. Applicants for the MSL need-based scholarship should use the MSL need-based scholarship online form.

2. Complete the FAFSA

  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.

3. Complete the University Aid Application

  • Admitted students with access to CAESAR will be able to view the electronic University Aid Application on their "To Do" list in CAESAR by mid-March, 2026.
    • You can find the application by navigating to: CAESAR -> "Tasks" or CAESAR -> Financial Aid-> To Do list (from left-hand navigation). 
  • If you are unable to access this document via your "To-Do List," contact our office.

4. Review your Financial Aid offer via CAESAR

Deadline: As soon as possible after you receive financial aid notification. Students must take action on loan offers as they will expire within 60 days. 

  • Once all application requirements are submitted, the Chicago Financial Aid Office (CFAO) will review aid eligibility.  Learn more about how aid is determined.
  • The Law School Office of Admissions and Financial Aid releases scholarship notifications throughout the spring.
  • CFAO releases financial aid decision emails to your Northwestern email on a rolling basis beginning early summer (if tuition deposit is completed) or within 4 to 6 weeks of submission whichever is later.
  • Upon notification, you must accept or decline the loan assistance offered to you via CAESAR. 

5. Private Loan Consideration (Optional)

  • Applications for private loan funds must be completed through a lender of your choice. You can begin your private loan search via our Private Loans page.
  • Private loan funds like other types of aid are academic year specific. This means that the loan application that you complete can only be used within one academic year at a time.
  • You must notify our office of your private loan approval via our Private Loan Certification Request form 
  • Final private loan funds eligibility are subject to a combination of your lender's eligibility criteria, cost of attendance, Satisfactory academic progress, and enrollment. 
  • International students interested in obtaining a private student loan may need a credit-worthy U.S. citizen/permanent resident cosigner.

Part-time Online MSL

Part-time online MSL students are not eligible for institutional scholarship funding unless they qualify for the MSL-PhD award. 

1. Complete the FAFSA

  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 University Aid Application

  • Admitted students with access to CAESAR will be able to view the electronic University Aid Application on their "To Do" list in CAESAR by mid-March, 2026.
    • You can find the application by navigating to: CAESAR -> "Tasks" or CAESAR -> Financial Aid-> To Do list (from left-hand navigation). 
  • If you are unable to access this document via your "To-Do List," contact our office.

3. Review your Financial Aid offer via CAESAR

Deadline: As soon as possible after you receive financial aid notification. Students must take action on loan offers as they will expire within 60 days. 

  • Once all application requirements are submitted, the Chicago Financial Aid Office (CFAO) will review aid eligibility.  Learn more about how aid is determined.
  • CFAO releases financial aid decision emails to your Northwestern email on a rolling basis beginning early summer (if tuition deposit is completed) or within 4 to 6 weeks of submission whichever is later.
  • Upon notification, you must accept or decline the loan assistance offered to you via CAESAR. 

5. Private Loan Consideration (Optional)

  • Applications for private loan funds must be completed through a lender of your choice. You can begin your private loan search via our Private Loans page.
  • Private loan funds like other types of aid are academic year specific. This means that the loan application that you complete can only be used within one academic year at a time.
  • You must notify our office of your private loan approval via our Private Loan Certification Request form 
  • Final private loan funds eligibility are subject to a combination of your lender's eligibility criteria, cost of attendance, Satisfactory academic progress, and enrollment. 
  • International students interested in obtaining a private student loan may need a credit-worthy U.S. citizen/permanent resident cosigner.