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Applying Grant & Scholarship Aid to Your Student Account

Depending upon the type of grant or scholarship award you received, there may be steps you need to take to ensure that the aid is reflected on your student account and bill.

Institutional grant & scholarship aid awarded by Northwestern

Institutional grant and scholarship aid awarded to you by a department or school at Northwestern are automatically disbursed to your student account for the term for which the aid was awarded, as long as you have accepted the award with the department or school. If you have any questions about institutional grant or scholarship awards or how to accept any awarded aid, please contact the department or school that awarded the aid.

Outside Scholarships

  • Students should email our office as soon as they are notified that they are a recipient of an outside scholarship from their NU email account.
  • If we are notified before your aid offer letter is released, the outside scholarship will be included in your aid offer.
  • If your aid offer letter has been released, you should email our office and include:
    • Include your 7-digit Northwestern ID on the scholarship check or accompanying award letter
    • Name of the scholarship
    • Award amount

Adjustments to your Aid Offer Letter

  • If you have accepted 100% of your loan assistance, our office will be required to replace an equal portion of your loan assistance with the scholarship aid to make room in the cost of attendance.
  • If you have declined a portion of your loan assistance equal to or greater than the amount of the scholarship, your other aid will not be affected.

Submitting your Scholarship Check

Outside scholarship checks should be dropped off or mailed to our office. 

  • Scholarship checks should be made payable to Northwestern University so that funds are credited directly to your student account
  • If the check is made out to you (or to you as well as Northwestern), you must sign the check before our office can disburse it to your student account
  • Include your 7-digit Northwestern ID on the scholarship check or accompanying award letter

Mailing Address

Chicago Office of Financial Aid
Northwestern University
710 N. Lake Shore Drive, Suite 629
Chicago, IL 60611