Apply for Aid

See the categories below for the next steps on applying for aid. 

Admitted Students - Entering Class of 2026

Admitted students may be eligible for institutional need-based grant funding and/or student loans. Those who complete the required application materials by the deadline will be considered for available opportunities. All students admitted to the MD program are automatically considered for merit scholarships; therefore no application is required for merit scholarships. Students who submit their financial aid application materials after the deadline will be considered for financial aid but may not qualify for all financial aid programs based on the availability of funds. 

Steps for Admitted Domestic Students

When to Apply

Priority Deadline

All financial aid application materials must be submitted by:

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

How to Apply

1. Complete the FAFSA 

Priority Deadline: Based on admission date listed above 

  • Visit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) website and complete the online 2026-27 FAFSA. If you do not already have an FSA ID, you will need to set one up 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, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS), summarizing your information. Resolve any incorrect information via the FAFSA web site or by returning the corrected and signed FSS. You can also monitor your FAFSA submission status by logging into studentaid.gov. Your FAFSA status will appear under "My Activity" on your dashboard.
  • International students are not required to complete the FAFSA and are only required to complete the CSS Profile and submit the supplemental documentation outlined in step 3.

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. Submit additional items to Chicago Financial Aid Office

Priority Deadline: Based on admission date listed above

Submit all items to our secure document upload portal. Please note that CAESAR will be updated to reflect received documents within 3-5 business days of submission.

Student income information

  • If you filed an Income Tax return for 2024, submit signed copies of your 2024 Federal Income Tax return and W-2 forms.
  • If you have not yet filed or were not required to file your 2024 Federal Income Tax return, download and complete the 2026-27 Verification of Student (and Spouse) Income form.
    • Please also submit a copy of your 2023 Federal Income Tax return and 2024 W-2 forms along with the Verification of Student (and Spouse) Income form.
  • If you will be married by October 2026, you must also submit a copy of your spouse's 2024 Federal Income Tax return.

 

Parental income information

Students under the age of 26 (or who will not be 26 by August 1, 2026) must provide:

  • Submit signed copies of your parents' 2024 Federal Income Tax return and W-2 forms.
  • If your parents have not yet filed or were not required to file their 2024 Federal Income Tax return, download and complete the 2026-27 Verification of Parents' Income form
    • Please submit a copy of their 2023 Federal Income Tax return and 2024 W-2 forms along with the Verification of Parent's Income form.
  •  Students age 26 or older on or before August 1, 2026 are not required to submit this information.

Northwestern Dependents with divorced parents may need to submit additional tax returns:

  • If your parents are currently separated or were divorced after September 1, 2022, submit tax returns for both parents.
  • If your parents were divorced before September 1, 2022 submit a tax return for your custodial parent only. If your custodial parent has remarried, submit your stepparent's tax return as well.

 Once you have your NetID from Admissions, you can check the status of your application. Please allow 3-5 business days for your materials to be marked as received.

 

 

Where to Send Materials

The FAFSA and CSS Profile will be transmitted to Northwestern University electronically. Once you have your NetID from the Office of Admissions, you may submit all items via the secure document upload portal. The portal requires you to include your NetID so please wait until you have that to complete this step regardless of the stated due date. CAESAR will update to reflect received documents within 3-5 business days of submission however note that during peak times, document processing might take longer. Your NetID will allow you to check the status of the documents you've submitted. 

Receive preliminary financial aid offer

Once all materials are submitted, Northwestern will determine your financial aid eligibility and financial aid package. Learn more about how aid is determined.

The Chicago Office of Financial Aid 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.

Accept or decline your 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, the Chicago Office of Financial Aid will begin releasing official financial aid offers.

The Chicago Office of Financial Aid will release official financial aid packages to Northwestern email accounts in early Summer. Once you receive notification that the official package is available in CAESAR, you must accept or decline the loan assistance offered to you for the academic year. Learn more about the steps to accept or decline 

Steps for Admitted International Students

Bear in mind that students who are interested in obtaining a private student loan must typically have a credit-worthy U.S. citizen/permanent resident co-signer on the loan.

When to Apply

Priority Deadline

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

How to Apply

1. Complete the CSS Profile

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 use private loans,  then you only need to complete the Chicago Office of Financial Aid's short-form University Aid Application. The short-form University Aid Application is different from the more in-depth CSS Profile. 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:
    • Your most recently completed tax returns
    • W-2 forms and other records of current year income
    • Records of untaxed income, benefits and assets
    • 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.

2. Complete items on To Do Checklist

Submit all items via the secure document upload portal. CAESAR will update to reflect received documents within 3-5 business days of submission. Note that during peak times, document processing might take longer. 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:
    • Copy of your 2024 Federal Income Tax return (include all schedules)
    • Copy of your 2024 W-2

Or

  • If you have not yet filed or were not required to file a 2024 Federal Income Tax return:

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

Foreign Income
  • Submit copy of your country’s tax forms for the most recent tax year (if you had foreign income in 2024).
    • If your country does not have an annual tax form, submit a signed wage statement from your employer verifying income
  • All non-US tax forms and earnings documents require official translation into English and must be converted to U.S. Dollars.  If converted to U.S. Dollars, the conversion rate must also be included.

*If you will be married by October 2026, you must also submit a copy of your spouse's 2024 tax forms (include all schedules).

Parental 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):
    • Copy of parent(s) 2024 Federal Income Tax return (include all schedules)
    • Copy of parent(s) 2024 W-2 

Or

  • If your parents have not yet filed or were not required to file their 2024 Federal Income Tax return, submit the following:

Foreign Income
  • Submit copy your parents’ country's tax forms for the most recent tax year (if your parent had foreign income in 2024).
    • If your country does not have an annual tax form, submit a signed wage statement from your parents’ employer(s) verifying income.
  • All tax or earnings documents require official translation into English and must be converted to U.S. Dollars. If converted to U.S. Dollars, the conversion rate must also be included.

 

Receive preliminary financial aid offer

3. 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 offers to your Northwestern email 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.

 

Accept, reduce, or decline your financial aid package via CAESAR

4. Review your financial aid offer via CAESAR

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

Complete any required documents as outlined in your financial aid notification email

5. Complete any required documents as outlined in your financial aid notification email

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

  • You may be required to submit additional documentation. Information about this process will be included on your Financial Aid Notification email.

Current Students

U.S. citizens, nationals and permanent residents who enroll at least halftime are eligible to apply for federal student loan assistance. You must reapply for student loans each year. Returning students do not need to include any parent data.

Priority applications are due April 1. All applications will be reviewed in the order they were received. Financial award decision emails were sent on a rolling basis in mid-to-late June.

Reapplication Steps for Current Domestic Students

1. Complete FAFSA

Complete 2025 2026 FAFSA (student section only). Use school code 001739.

  • 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 set one up 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 or Northwestern College codes (001740, school-specific codes beginning with an "E") should not be used.
  • After the FAFSA is processed, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary, summarizing your information. Resolve any incorrect information via the FAFSA web site or by returning the corrected and signed FAFSA Submission Summary. If you do not receive your FAFSA Submission Summary within four weeks, or if you need to request a duplicate, call 800-433-3243. You can also monitor your FAFSA submission status by logging into studentaid.gov. Your FAFSA status will appear under "My Activity" on your dashboard.

FAFSA FAQ

2. Complete University Aid Application

Complete the University Aid Application online via your to-do list in CAESAR under the 2025-2026 academic year. If you do not see the this form on your CAESAR to do list by mid March, please email Cynthia Gonzalez.

Reapplication Steps for Current International Students

1. Complete the University Aid Application by April 1

Students may access this document online via their "To-Do List" for the upcoming academic year in CAESAR in mid-March. 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.

 

2. Accept or Decline Your Loan Assistance

After you submit all application materials, Northwestern will determine your aid package. Next, our office will send financial aid eligibility notification emails detailing your financial aid package. Your package will likely include private international student loans. You must accept or decline any loan assistance offered via CAESAR. Please complete this step as soon as possible after your receive the financial aid eligibility notification. Learn more about the steps to accept or decline.

 

3. Apply or Reapply for Your Private Student Loan

If you have been offered a private international student loan on your award notice, you must complete the application and be approved for the loan program of your choice through the lender's website. This online application must be completed each academic year in order to receive funds for this loan. Be advised that international students interested in obtaining a private student loan may need a credit-worthy U.S. citizen/permanent resident cosigner. Additional information about this process will be included on your financial aid eligibility notification email.