SPS Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study Programs
Below is an overview of the financial aid application process for students enrolled in a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study at the School of Professional Studies (SPS). Students in Graduate Certificates or students enrolling in the Climate Change Communication, Interdisciplinary Studies in Liberal Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies in Sports Administration are not eligible for federal student loan funding.
Students must be enrolled in at least 1.5 units per term to be eligible for federal student loans. If you drop a course in a term, your federal student loans will most likely be returned to the lender.
It is your responsibility to contact the Office of Financial Aid if you change your enrollment during an academic quarter.
If you will not be enrolled in at least 1.50 in a given term, you are not eligible for federal student loans for that term. You may still be eligible for private loans to cover tuition, fees and book expenses. If you wish to apply for a private loan, please complete the document in step two and alert our office that you are only applying for private student loan funding (a FAFSA will not be needed). For more information about available private loans for students enrolled less-than-half-time, please visit the Student Financial Services website.
Courses Eligible for Aid
Only courses listed as required for the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study may be covered by financial aid. You will find a list of required courses for your corresponding program at the Certificate of Advance Graduate Study page on the SPS website. Students may only receive financial aid to cover the total number of courses listed as required to complete the certificate (maximum of four courses per certificate).
Students who wish to apply for financial aid for the Summer 2024 term must complete the 2023-24 application requirements. Please note the final deadline to complete the 2023-24 FAFSA is June 30, 2025.
Students are encouraged to return all completed application materials by the suggested submission date listed below based on their "first term of enrollment":
Suggested Submission Dates
| First Term of Enrollment | Suggested Submission Date |
|---|---|
| Fall 2024 | July 17, 2024 |
| Winter 2025 | November 10, 2024 |
| Spring 2025 | February 12, 2025 |
| Summer 2025 | April 25, 2025 |
Importance of meeting suggested submission dates
Meeting the financial aid application suggested submission dates listed above ensures that students will receive their financial aid award notice, can complete all required loan documentation, and have their funds disburse by the first day of classes. Students who are admitted after the application suggested submission date for their first term of enrollment are still eligible to apply for and receive financial aid, but they must submit their financial aid application materials within two weeks of when they were admitted.
Students who apply for financial aid after their suggested submission date cannot be guaranteed that financial aid funds will disburse by the first day of class. Applications received after the suggested submission date will be processed in the order in which they were received.
Financial aid applications may not be processed once a quarter has ended (in other words, students may not be eligible to receive funds for Fall quarter if they apply for those funds during the Winter quarter).
Application steps
- Complete the FAFSA
- Complete the University Aid Application
- Accept or decline your financial aid award via CAESAR
1. Complete the FAFSA
Suggested submission date: Depends on the enrollment term. See table above.
- Visit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) website and complete the online 2024-25 form. If you do not already have an FSA ID, you will need to create an FSA ID before completing the FAFSA. This FSA ID will be used for many Department of Education websites.
- Designate Northwestern University - Evanston as the recipient of the information; our federal school code is 001739. Any other Northwestern University codes (001740, school-specific codes beginning with an "E") should not be used.
- After the FAFSA is processed (allow two weeks), you will receive a SAR (Student Aid Report) summarizing your information. Resolve any incorrect information via the FAFSA web site or by returning the corrected and signed SAR. If you do not receive your SAR within four weeks, or if you need to request a duplicate, call 800-433-3243.
International students who wish to apply for private student loan funding are not required to complete the FAFSA.
2. Complete the University Aid Application
Suggested submission date: Depends on the enrollment term. See table above.
Students may access this document online via their CAESAR To-Do list for the 2024-25 academic year after mid-March 2024, or within a week of when you were admitted, whichever is later. Your "To-Do List" can be reviewed in CAESAR through either the "Tasks" tile on the homepage, or by clicking on the "Financial Aid" tile from the homepage and then selecting "To-Do List" from the left-hand navigation. If you are unable to access this document via your To-Do list, please contact the Chicago Office of Financial Aid.
The University Aid Application is the only financial aid application form needed from international students. Once the University Aid Application has been submitted, the FAFSA should be removed from your To-Do list within 2-3 business days. If it is not removed within that timeframe, please contact the Chicago Office of Financial Aid.
3. Accept or decline your loan offer
Suggested submission date: As soon as possible after you receive eligibility notice
- Once all materials are submitted, Northwestern will determine your financial aid eligibility and loan offer.
- Next, our office will begin sending financial aid decision emails on a rolling basis about 4-6 weeks after your application materials have been submitted.
- Students must then accept or decline their award in CAESAR. Learn more on how to accept or decline your loan offer.
Students who wish to apply for financial aid for the Summer 2025 term must complete the 2024-25 application requirements. Please note the final deadline to complete the 2024-25 FAFSA is June 30, 2025.
Students are encouraged to return all completed application materials by the suggested submission date listed below based on their "first term of enrollment":
Suggested Submission Dates
| First Term of Enrollment | Suggested Submission Date |
|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | July 15, 2025 |
| Winter 2026 | November 10, 2025 |
| Spring 2026 | February 12, 2026 |
| Summer 2026 | April 24, 2026 |
Importance of meeting suggested submission dates
Meeting the financial aid application suggested submission dates listed above ensures that students will receive their financial aid award notice, can complete all required loan documentation, and have their funds disburse by the first day of classes. Students who are admitted after the application suggested submission date for their first term of enrollment are still eligible to apply for and receive financial aid, but they must submit their financial aid application materials within two weeks of when they were admitted.
Students who apply for financial aid after their suggested submission date cannot be guaranteed that financial aid funds will disburse by the first day of class. Applications received after the suggested submission date will be processed in the order in which they were received.
Financial aid applications may not be processed once a quarter has ended (in other words, students may not be eligible to receive funds for Fall quarter if they apply for those funds during the Winter quarter).
Application steps
- Complete the FAFSA
- Complete the University Aid Application
- Accept or decline your financial aid award via CAESAR
1. Complete the FAFSA
Suggested submission date: Depends on the enrollment term. See table above.
- Visit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) website and complete the online 2025-26 form. If you do not already have an FSA ID, you will need to create an FSA ID before completing the FAFSA. This FSA ID will be used for many Department of Education websites.
- Designate Northwestern University - Evanston as the recipient of the information; our federal school code is 001739. Any other Northwestern University codes (001740, school-specific codes beginning with an "E") should not be used.
- After the FAFSA is processed (allow two weeks), you will receive a SAR (Student Aid Report) summarizing your information. Resolve any incorrect information via the FAFSA web site or by returning the corrected and signed SAR. If you do not receive your SAR within four weeks, or if you need to request a duplicate, call 800-433-3243.
- Please note that although the FAFSA for 2025-26 is available to complete now, due to system and processing delays your FAFSA application may not be marked as complete until sometime in February or upon receipt from the Department of Education. We apologize for any inconvenience.
International students who wish to apply for private student loan funding are not required to complete the FAFSA.
2. Complete the University Aid Application
Suggested submission date: Depends on the enrollment term. See table above.
Students may access this document online via their CAESAR To-Do list for the 2025-26 academic year after mid-March 2025, or within a week of when you were admitted, whichever is later. Your "To-Do List" can be reviewed in CAESAR through either the "Tasks" tile on the homepage, or by clicking on the "Financial Aid" tile from the homepage and then selecting "To-Do List" from the left-hand navigation. If you are unable to access this document via your To-Do list, please contact the Chicago Office of Financial Aid.
The University Aid Application is the only financial aid application form needed from international students. Once the University Aid Application has been submitted, the FAFSA should be removed from your To-Do list within 2-3 business days. If it is not removed within that timeframe, please contact the Chicago Office of Financial Aid.
3. Accept or decline your loan offer
Suggested submission date: As soon as possible after you receive eligibility notice
- Once all materials are submitted, Northwestern will determine your financial aid eligibility and loan offer.
- Next, our office will begin sending financial aid decision emails on a rolling basis about 4-6 weeks after your application materials have been submitted.
- Students must then accept or decline their award in CAESAR. Learn more on how to accept or decline your loan offer.