Financing your MBA

We strongly encourage Evening & Weekend MBA students to submit an application for financial aid. The process is simple, and all students — regardless of need — are eligible to apply for assistance.

A team of financial aid experts, based in Northwestern University’s Office of Financial Aid on the Chicago campus, will assist you throughout the duration of your time at Kellogg.

Applying for financial aid

New students can apply for financial aid after they receive an offer of admissions from the Evening & Weekend MBA Program. Students must reapply for financial aid each spring.

To apply for financial aid, please complete:

  1. Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA)
  2. University Aid Application

Application deadlines are listed here.

Requirements

To qualify for federal financial aid, you must:
  • Be accepted as a degree-seeking student enrolled in a minimum of two credits. (Students enrolled in less than two credits may be eligible for private loans.)
  • Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
  • Have a valid social security number.
  • Register with the Selective Service (if required).
  • Not be in default on a federal student loan or have an overpayment on a federal student grant.
  • Comply with federal financial aid guidelines concerning convictions for the sale or possession of illegal drugs.

Determining your award

The Office of Financial Aid on Northwestern University’s Chicago campus will determine your financial aid award based on information supplied in your Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) and University Aid Application.

Your award will consist of student loans awarded up to the cost of tuition, fees and other estimated expenses (including books and loan fees) minus any other outside resources (e.g. tuition reimbursement through your employer).

Loan options

As a student in the Evening & Weekend MBA Program, your loan options include Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, Federal Direct Graduate Plus Loan and private loans.

Grants and scholarships

The Kellogg Evening and Weekend part time program admission committee awards a limited number of scholarships during the admission cycle. The scholarship decisions are awarded based on a holistic review of the overall application for admission and may require an additional essay component. Admitted students are typically notified prior to decision deadlines.

The admission committee scholarship awards include:

  • Dean’s Leadership Scholarships – Awarded to students based on overall strength of application for admission.
  • Drake Scholarship – Awarded to students who have shown a passion for furthering women's initiatives.
  • Forté Foundation Scholarship – Awarded in partnership with the Forté Foundation to female students based on a demonstrated commitment to women and girls via community involvement or personal mentorship.
  • Vivo Scholarship – The Vivo Foundation focuses on educational equity with a vision to provide tools and resources to enable youth of every race, belief system, and socio-economic status to reach their full potential. The Vivo Scholarship is awarded to extraordinary students from underrepresented backgrounds to promote greater diversity in the Kellogg community and among future business leaders.

For more information, contact an admissions officer.

There are also a variety of scholarship programs offered through various civic and professional organizations, state agencies and private foundations. To search for scholarships, visit FastWeb or Scholarships.com.

Employer support

Some companies provide tuition reimbursement to their employees as part of their benefits package. Contact your HR department to inquire about this benefit and its requirements.

Please note: If you receive tuition reimbursement through your employer, you are still eligible to apply for financial aid. However, due to federal guidelines, the reimbursement amount may impact the loan amount offered.

For international students

International students may be eligible for private student loans. Typically, these loans require a U.S. cosigner. We encourage you to investigate these options very cautiously and thoroughly. The Office of Financial Aid will process a loan with any lender you select, as long as you’re eligible for the loan.

International students are also encouraged to investigate in their home country and/or country-of-residence for loan options.

PRIVATE LOANS
  • How to qualify: Students must complete the University Aid Application before the Office of Financial Aid can process a private loan request. Private loans also require the completion of a separate loan application and are subject to lender credit approval.
  • Interest rate: Determined by the lender and based on a variable index, such as the Prime Rate or the London Interbank Offering Rate (LIBOR), plus a margin based on credit score and credit history. The interest rate on private loans is variable and interest will begin to accrue once the loan is disbursed.
  • More information: Visit the Student Financial Services website for additional information.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal regulations require all recipients of federal financial aid to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in their program of study. This includes recipients of Federal Direct Stafford Loans and Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans. Kellogg also expects students to make continual progress towards completing their degree.

Additional information on Satisfactory Academic Progress for the Evening & Weekend MBA program is available on the Chicago Financial Aid Office website.

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