Northwestern University does not run a single named scholarship for international students. What it has is undergraduate financial aid, managed by the Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid, and a small group of international applicants are considered for it each cycle. If you are a Pakistani student aiming for a US undergraduate degree and your family cannot cover the full cost, this is the route you would use at Northwestern. You can see the full scholarship details on our listing, but this guide explains how the process actually works and where students trip up.
The short version: aid is based on financial need, it is limited for international students, and the paperwork is heavier than most scholarship applications. You are not writing an essay to win an award. You are proving, with documents, what your family can and cannot pay.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Northwestern University, Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid |
| Funding | Full or partial, depending on assessed financial need |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Fields | All undergraduate fields offered at Northwestern |
| Typically opens | October (forms become available October 1) |
| Regular Decision deadline | February 1 for FAFSA and CSS Profile, tax materials by February 5 |
| Early Decision deadline | CSS Profile by December 1, tax materials by December 5; confirm the FAFSA date on the official portal |
| Country | United States |
| Official site | undergradaid.northwestern.edu |
Need-based aid for a small group of international students
Northwestern funds undergraduate aid through institutional scholarships, federal grants and state programs. International students are eligible for the institutional side, but only a small group receive it. That wording matters. It tells you this is competitive, and that a strong admission profile and a well-documented need case both count.
Who does this suit? Students with a realistic shot at admission to Northwestern whose families genuinely cannot pay full cost. If your family can comfortably fund a US degree, there is little point applying for aid here, since the whole package is driven by need. If you are hoping for a merit award based on grades alone, this is the wrong programme to pin your hopes on.
Pakistani students apply under the international track. Nothing in the official information sets a separate quota by country, so you are competing within the overall international pool.
Why you must ask for aid as an entering freshman
This is the single rule international applicants most need to remember. You must apply for financial aid when you first enter as a freshman to remain eligible for aid in later years. If you start at Northwestern without requesting aid, you cannot come back in your second or third year and ask for it as an international student.
Some families think, "We will manage the first year somehow and apply later." At Northwestern that plan does not work. If there is any chance your family will need help over the course of the degree, apply for aid at the start, even if the first-year finances look manageable.
What a Northwestern aid package is made of
Do not expect a single cheque labelled "scholarship". A typical package combines several pieces:
- Scholarship or grant assistance based on financial need (this is the gift aid you do not repay)
- Student employment through Federal Work Study
- Institutional aid determined through the CSS Profile
- Federal student loan options, including Stafford and Perkins loans
- Parent loan options, including Parent PLUS and Northwestern Parent Loans
The official information does not give fixed amounts, and "full" or "partial" depends on your assessed need. When your award arrives, read it line by line. Separate the grant money from loans and work study, because only the grant portion is free money. Some of the federal programmes listed may also have their own eligibility rules, so check with the financial aid office which parts of the package actually apply to you as an international student before you count on them.
The FAFSA, CSS Profile and IDOC paperwork
Northwestern's process uses three systems, and each has its own code or route.
- The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), filed with Northwestern's federal school code 001739.
- The CSS Profile (College Scholarship Service Profile) on the College Board website, filed with school code 1565. This is the form used to determine institutional aid.
- IDOC, the College Board Institutional Documentation Service, where you upload signed federal tax returns and W-2s for the student and custodial parents.
The official materials list the FAFSA as part of the process for international applicants too. Whether every part of it applies in your case is something to confirm directly with the Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid, especially as Pakistani families will not have US tax forms. Ask early rather than guessing.
Documents to prepare
- FAFSA submission
- CSS Profile submission
- Custodial parents' federal tax returns and W-2s
- Student's federal tax returns and W-2s
- Non-Tax Filer's Statement, if applicable
- Any additional forms listed in your application checklist
For a Pakistani family, the Non-Tax Filer's Statement and "additional requested forms" lines are likely to matter, since the standard list is written around US tax documents. Ask the office what they accept in place of US returns and W-2s. Keep your income records, salary slips and bank statements organised and translated where needed. Our documents checklist for international scholarships is a useful starting point for getting Pakistani paperwork in order.
Divorced or separated parents
If your biological or adoptive parents are divorced or separated, both the custodial parent and the noncustodial parent must each complete a separate CSS Profile. This catches many students off guard. If one parent is hard to reach or reluctant, start that conversation months before the deadline, not the week before.
Early Decision versus Regular Decision dates
Your financial aid deadlines follow your admission track. Applications for the FAFSA and CSS Profile open on October 1.
| Track | CSS Profile | FAFSA | Tax materials via IDOC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision | December 1 | Confirm on the official portal | December 5 |
| Regular Decision (including international applicants) | February 1 | February 1 | February 5 |
Aid packages are communicated in spring, shortly after or alongside the admission decision. That timing is helpful: you will know what Northwestern expects your family to pay at the same moment you know whether you are admitted. Always confirm the current cycle's dates on the official financial aid site, since they can shift from year to year.
Applying for aid, in order
- Decide your admission track: Regular Decision, Early Decision, Transfer or International.
- Submit the FAFSA using school code 001739.
- Submit the CSS Profile on the College Board website using school code 1565.
- Send the student's and custodial parents' federal tax returns and W-2s through IDOC.
- Upload any extra documents the office requests through Northwestern's secure document upload tool.
- Review your award package when it arrives with or after your admission decision.
Where applicants go wrong
The first mistake is sending tax documents to the wrong place. Signed tax returns and W-2s go to the College Board's IDOC service, not directly to the Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid. Emailing them to the university does not count as a submission.
The second is leaving everything to the deadline week. The forms are long, and processing takes time. Submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile well before the stated deadlines.
The third is not checking that uploads arrived. After uploading documents, check your CAESAR checklist 2 to 3 business days later to confirm they were received. A missing document can hold up your whole package.
The fourth is applying Early Decision without thinking about money. On the Early Decision track your aid forms are due much earlier. If your family's finances are complicated, make sure you can realistically assemble everything by December.
Finally, remember that admission to a US university is only the first step. Once you have an award, you still need a visa, and you should be ready to show how any gap between your aid and the total cost will be covered. Our guide to bank statements and proof of funds covers what Pakistani applicants usually need to show.
Contacting the financial aid office
The Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid is at 633 Clark Street, Suite 1603, Evanston, IL 60208-0001. You can call 847.491.7400 or email undergradaid@u.northwestern.edu with questions about applications, document uploads and award packages. For an international family, a short, specific email (your name, applicant ID if you have one, and the exact question) gets a better answer than a long general one.
If you are comparing options across the country, browse all United States scholarships we have covered.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pakistani students get financial aid at Northwestern?
Financial aid is available to a small group of international students, and Pakistani applicants fall into that international pool. It is need-based and limited, so it is competitive.
Is this a full scholarship?
It can be full or partial. The amount depends on your assessed financial need, and packages usually mix grants with loans and work study. Only the grant portion does not need repaying.
What are Northwestern's school codes?
The federal school code for the FAFSA is 001739. The CSS Profile school code is 1565.
Can I apply for aid after my first year?
Not as an international student who skipped it at entry. You must apply as an entering freshman to stay eligible for aid in later years.
Where do tax documents go?
To the College Board's Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC), not to the financial aid office directly. Ask the office what to submit if your family does not file US tax returns.
When will I hear about my aid?
Award packages arrive shortly after or alongside your admission decision, typically in spring.
Before you start, read the current instructions on the Northwestern undergraduate financial aid website and revisit the full scholarship page for a quick summary of deadlines and requirements.