Tuition and Financial Aid

Each year the Higher Education Administration and Policy Program offers a number of partial tuition scholarships to academically competitive applicants. There is no separate application for these scholarships. You may indicate that you would like to be considered for scholarships in the "Financial Aid and Awards" section of the online application form. A limited number of awards are available, so applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for the early application deadline. 

The Alumnae of Northwestern University offers the Alumnae Graduate Fellowship (AGF) to Northwestern alumni (those who earned their undergraduate degree at Northwestern University), preferably females, who show promise of achieving distinction in their field and bringing credit to the University. The award is valued at up to $20,000. 

Criteria for selection include quality of scholarship, leadership, community service, professional experience and financial need. Students who plan to pursue a career that serves the public good receive special consideration. The application is available through the Fellowship Office from January through April. 

Students are encouraged to investigate scholarships offered through various civic and professional organizations, foundations and state agencies. One place to search for scholarships is the financial aid information web page sponsored by the National Association of Student Aid Administration. Another good resource is Northwestern University's Office of Fellowships.  

Federally funded interns will work approximately 20 hours per week during each quarter of the internship and are required to register full-time (three or more courses) during each of the internship quarters. Internship positions may be in a variety of functional areas/departments. Compensation is $4,500 per quarter ($22.50 per hour). Internships may last between one and five quarters, and no federal internship funding is available during the summer months. These positions are awarded on the basis of previous academic achievement and an interview. 

Federally funded internships are paid through federal work-study funds. To be eligible for consideration, candidates must be United States citizens or permanent residents and complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/FAFSA. Applicants should indicate that they would like to be considered for federally funded internships on the Financial Aid section of the online application form. A limited number of federally funded internships are available, so applicants are encouraged to apply by the early admission deadline. Internship placement is coordinated by the Higher Education Administration and Policy Program. 

In addition to federally funded internships, other paid internship and assistantship opportunities are available to Higher Education Administration and Policy students. These internships are assigned on the basis of an interview and the intern's skill set and previous experience. Compensation and duration of departmentally funded internships vary. Students who are interested in paid internship experiences are encouraged to apply by the early application deadline. Internship placement is coordinated by the Higher Education Administration and Policy Program. 

Every year the program employs a few full-time students in the program as graduate assistants, each working about 15 - 20 hours a week. They help recruit prospective students, provide administrative support to staff and faculty, take ownership (under the guidance of the staff) of key projects, and work on research projects for the program office. For each quarter of work they are compensated with tuition remission for one course and stipend (depending on the number of hours worked). The typical assistantship lasts 4 quarters.