The College is responsible for administering aid under federal and state regulations. Legislation may change provisions of financial aid programs from time to time, which may result in changes to student awards that are beyond the control of the College or the Financial Aid Office. The following grant programs are available:


Grants

Northwestern Grant (Financial Aid)
$200 to $10,000
Students demonstrating financial need are eligible.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (Financial Aid)
$300 to $4,000 (depending on federal funding)
Those students with exceptional financial need are eligible for this grant.

Federal Pell Grant (Financial Aid)
$400 to $4,310
Students with exceptional financial need may receive the Federal Pell Grant.

Minnesota State Grant Program (Financial Aid)
$100 to $8,202 (depending on state legislature)
Minnesota residents who demonstrate need based on state requirements are eligible.

International Students (Financial Aid)
International students are not eligible to receive state or federal assistance, nor can they work off-campus. However, they may be eligible to receive various forms of Northwestern College aid based on the results of the International Student Financial Aid Application and their previous academic achievements. In order to enroll at Northwestern College for the Fall, both the Admission and Financial Aid Application must be completed by June 1st.

Minority Assistance Program (Minnesota residents) (Financial Aid)
With gift assistance from sources available to students and the College, Northwestern will cover demonstrated need up to the amount of tuition for Minnesota students of color.


Scholarships

FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS (TRANSFERS INCLUDED) (Admissions)
Upon admission to Northwestern, students will be notified which scholarship(s) they have been awarded. Presidential and STEP Scholarships are based on high school achievements and do not require a separate scholarship application. All scholarships recipients must have a minimum high school GPA of 2.0 and a minimum ACT composite score of 18.

Presidential Scholarship (Admissions)
$2,500 to $6,500
One-year, nonrenewable scholarships granted to full-time incoming students with a minimum high school grade point average of 3.50, high school class rank above the 85th percentile and ACT composite score of at least 24 (or SAT-I score of 1090). Students meeting two of the three criteria may be considered.

Student Tuition Endowment Program (STEP) Scholarship (Admissions)
$2,000
One year, non-renewable scholarships designated for full-time, incoming students who have a minimum high school cumulative GPA of 3.25 or ACT composite score of at least 23 (or SAT-I score of 1060) and who participate in at least one recognized co-curricular activity during the first year of enrollment.

Transfer Scholarship (Admissions)
$1,250 or $2,000
Transfer students who have completed 12 or more college credits after graduating from high school are eligible. Transfer students who have proven their abilities by attaining a cumulative college GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible for one year, non-renewable Transfer Scholarships.

Leadership Award (Admissions)
$2,000 annually for four years.
Approximately sixty of these competitive four-year awards are presented each year to new students who demonstrate leadership potential as indicated through the admission application and references. Recipients will be notified by the Admissions Office.

Eagle Honor Scholar Award (Admissions)
at least $11,500
Northwestern's honor program is designed to challenge high-ability students to greater academic achievement. The variety of courses allow for the participation of students from diverse disciplines. New students admitted to Northwestern with top credentials will be invited to apply to this program prior to January 1 the year before entering at Northwestern. The $11,500 scholarship is renewable annually with successful involvement in the program including a cumulative college GPA of 3.65 or higher.

Continuing and Returning Students

Academic Tuition Benefit (Financial Aid)
Awards are given to continuing students who have completed at least one full-time semester at Northwestern. Students must maintain full-time status to qualify for the award. The following amounts will be awarded for the 2008-2009 school year, based on the cumulative grade point average earned at Northwestern College:

Discounts

Tuition Discounts-Family and Christian Workers Discounts (Financial Aid)
These ten percent tuition discounts are available for students whose parents are in full-time Christian service and for families with two or more students concurrently enrolled at NWC. A Northwestern College Aid Application is required to be given a tuition discount. These forms are available in the Financial Aid Office. A student may only receive one of the two discounts.

Legacy Grant (Financial Aid)
Alumni Relations and Financial Aid have partnered together to establish the Legacy Grant for children of alumni. The Legacy Grant provides ten percent off of tuition regardless of financial need or GPA. A Northwestern College Aid Application is required to be given a legacy grant. These forms are available in the Financial Aid Office.

Other Scholarships

Outside Scholarships (Other)
This is a scholarship that is funded by an outside agency. One of the best sources in locating outside scholarships is to talk with your high school counselor about the literature they receive about outside scholarships. Other sources to keep in mind are scholarship searches on the Internet and public libraries where there are books and/or listings of available scholarships. When you receive notice that you have been awarded an outside scholarship you must report it in writing to the Financial Aid Office.

FastWEB (Financial Aid Search Through the WEB) (Other)
FastWEB is the largest and most complete scholarship search on the Internet.

Honors Scholarships (Stewardship Department)
$500 and up
Students who have attended at least one semester at Northwestern and have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher will be considered. Honors Scholarships are administered through the Office of Advancement. Students are notified and have access to an online scholarship application starting mid-October through the end of November. Awards are announced in the April and are made the following Fall and Spring semesters. You must apply for an Honors Scholarship each year. The listing of these scholarships is found in the Northwestern College Catalog under Honors Scholarships and Grants.

Music Scholarship (Music Department)
$500 to $3,500
The music department holds auditions early in January to determine the winners of the scholarships in the instrumental, piano, and vocal areas. Call the music office at 888-878-5514, Ext. 5218, after September 1 to receive complete audition information for the following academic year.

Theater Scholarship (Theater Department)
If you are interested in learning more about Theater Scholarship opportunities at Northwestern please go to Theater Scholarships for more information.