<p>-Starting next fall, about 450 of Northwestern's neediest undergraduates each year—most with annual family incomes of less than $55,000—will have their loans replaced with grants, enabling them to graduate debt-free.</p>
<p>-The scholarships are worth at least $125,000 over four years.</p>
<p>-Under the new program, Northwestern will consider factors beyond family income when deciding which students qualify for the loan-free financial aid packages. The university will take into account other financial pressures, such as a family's extensive medical expenses or families with several siblings in college at the same time.</p>
<p>-An estimated 80 percent of students who qualify for the new program are expected to come from families making less than $55,000 a year.</p>
<p>-Northwestern also will begin to cap the amount of federal loans any student must take out at a total of $20,000 over four years. About 1,000 students will get some relief under the loan-cap program.</p>
<p>-The programs will benefit new and returning students.</p>
<p>-Families still will be expected to contribute to the cost of the education and students will be expected to participate in work-study jobs. The family contribution for students in the no-loan program will be, on average, about $5,000 a year.</p>
<p>I guess the important difference between this and what other schools have announced is illustrated in a portion of Northwestern's press release:</p>
<p>Northwestern is intentionally tying eligibility for its no-loan program to financial need, rather than to a certain level of family income, as many other schools have done. </p>
<p>“We believe that linking our no-loan policy to financial need rather than family income is inherently more fair,” said Michael Mills, associate provost for enrollment management. “There are instances where middle- or even upper-middle-income families have tremendous financial need because of circumstances such as caring for a grandparent, coping with extensive medical expenses, enrolling several children in college simultaneously or other situations. Our new no-loan pledge based on financial need will help these types of families who otherwise wouldn’t qualify under an income-based program.”</p>
<p>Mills estimated that 80 percent of the beneficiaries of the no-loan program will come from families making less than $55,000 annually. The remainder would come from families with greater incomes but with financial circumstances such as those described above. </p>
<p>How do I qualify for this program?
Pell-eligible students whose institutionally determined need is at least 80% of the cost of attendance will be reviewed for the program.</p>
<p>I just miss the pell with an efc of 6,700, so if I even get into Northwestern, that won't help me.</p>
<p>I hope they extend this to Early Decision goers as well. NU is my first choice school but I'm wary about ED because I come from a low income family.</p>