Health Insurance & Stipend
Health Requirements and Insurance
Health Requirements
Newly enrolled Northwestern students are required to follow the admission health requirements of Northwestern. Please refer to the Health Service Department's website for details. Newly enrolled students should complete the Admission Health Record (AHR) and submit it by July 1, 2025. Penalties for not fulfilling health requirements include a fall registration hold and a non-refundable $100 late fee.
Student Health Insurance Plan
Northwestern University requires that all degree seeking students maintain health insurance. Part of your financial aid package from Kellogg includes coverage of this health insurance fee. Health insurance coverage will begin on September 1, 2025 and will end on August 31, 2026. Please note that Kellogg covers the health insurance fee for the student only; fees for dependents are not covered by Kellogg’s financial aid package. For routine medical care, students use the Northwestern student clinic at Health Service. Referrals to other doctors, if needed, would be made through the Northwestern student clinic or Searle/Student Health.
U.S. or Permanent Residents:
You can have your own private health insurance plan or enroll in the Northwestern Health Insurance Plan. With the private medical insurance plan, you must provide proof of comparable insurance coverage in order to be waived from Northwestern's plan. Students must enroll in the plan or decline coverage by October 1, 2025.
International Students:
The Vice President for Student Affairs has mandated that all first year incoming international students must purchase health insurance from the University recommended vendor, Aetna Student Health. There will be no exceptions. The Vice President has also mandated that these same first year incoming international students will maintain coverage from Aetna Student Health (or an alternative vendor selected by Northwestern University) for the entire time they are studying at Northwestern. International students will be automatically enrolled in the plan.
All Kids Healthcare Program:
The State of Illinois also has a plan to provide affordable health insurance coverage to children living in Illinois. Please see more information on the All Kids Program website.
Stipend Payments and Payroll Process
As part of their financial aid package, PhD students receive a monthly stipend. Payments are made over the academic year (September through August) in 12 equal payments. Stipend payments are deposited on the last business day of the month. If your stipend payment is not credited to your bank account or you encounter any type of issue, please contact Susan Jackman. For complete details and information about the steps that need to be completed please see the Payroll website.
International students should visit resources in our 'International Student' section. These resources outline the process for requesting an I-20/DS-2019 form which international students will need to submit in order to study in the United States, apply for a Social Security Number, or apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.