Evanston-campus Undergraduate Tuition Waiver
Per the Undergraduate Catalog, students who are unable to complete bachelor’s degree requirements in 12 quarters of enrollment due to circumstances beyond their control, and who have paid full-time tuition to Northwestern for 12 quarters, may petition to enroll in their final quarter at no additional tuition charge. Transfer students who have paid full-time tuition to Northwestern for 9 quarters are also eligible.
The Undergraduate Tuition Waiver is not available for students who choose a program that may take more than 12 quarters to complete, such as a dual degree program, or for students who have graduated. A final quarter at no charge is also not available for students whose pursuit of an optional program, such as study abroad, a double major, a minor, or extra coursework beyond that normally required for the degree, is the cause of the additional term(s) of enrollment.
Students who have previously received Undergraduate Financial Aid or whose financial circumstances may have changed should first consult with Undergraduate Financial Aid to for what options might be available before petitioning for Undergraduate Tuition Waiver. Students should also consult their academic adviser(s) to discuss whether their situation is appropriate for this benefit. Students can petition for Undergraduate Tuition Waiver as early as when they petition to graduate, or as late as just before the quarter in which they will graduate.
Petition Criteria for Consideration of Undergraduate Tuition Waiver
- Student must have submitted a completed petition to graduate to the Office of the Registrar or to the Office of Undergraduate Engineering if they are McCormick students. This provides an official evaluation of progress toward degree and documentation of the enrollment that is necessary to complete requirements, and the likelihood that the quarter in question will be the student’s last. Processing of a petition to graduate does not have to be completed before submitting a petition for Undergraduate Tuition Waiver.
- Students receiving need-based financial aid are strongly encouraged to first apply for financial aid for the quarter in question. As a financial aid recipient, you might qualify for an extension of your aid, see the request form here. Students may choose not to do apply for aid but risk that the Committee may be unable to conduct a thorough consideration of the petition and therefore be forced to deny it.
Procedure to Submit an Evanston Campus Undergraduate Tuition Waiver Petition
Students who wish to submit an Undergraduate Tuition Waiver petition must meet the criteria above. See Undergraduate Advising for instructions to submit a petition for an Evanston-campus Undergraduate Tuition Waiver.