The starting point
A highly selective private research university that explicitly does not award academic merit scholarships. All institutional financial aid is need-based, and Northwestern meets 100% of demonstrated financial need without loans. The only non-need institutional awards are a small number of Bienen School of Music audition-based merit scholarships (roughly 15 per year) and ROTC scholarships.
Selection beyond grades and scores. These awards are not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read each award's selection rules, application steps and dates. Meeting a minimum is not an award offer.
Awards to discuss
The 2 awards in this school's research. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.
Bienen School of Music Merit Scholarship
Varies. The most prestigious awards cover full tuition, room, board, and a stipend for music expenses. Other awards are partial. Specific dollar amounts are not published. · Variable or qualified amount
Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.
Eligibility: Admitted to the Bienen School of Music as an undergraduate. Must complete a musical audition that demonstrates remarkable excellence. No separate scholarship application is required beyond the audition. International applicants are evaluated using the same merit-based process. Merit scholarships are a factor in calculating offers based on demonstrated financial need.
Renewal: Renewable for four years, subject to satisfactory academic progress and continued participation in the Bienen School. Specific renewal GPA thresholds are not published.
Other terms: Approximately 15 freshmen per year received institutional non-need-based scholarship or grant aid in 2024-2025 (CDS H2A, line N), averaging $29,000. These are believed to be primarily Bienen music merit awards. The Bienen School states it awards selective merit-based scholarships to students whose auditions demonstrate remarkable excellence, but does not publish named programs, dollar tiers, or selection counts.
https://music.northwestern.edu/admission/undergraduate/financial-aid
NROTC Scholarship
Full tuition, book stipend, educational fees, and a monthly living stipend. Four-year, three-year, and two-year scholarships available. · Published coverage or package
Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.
Eligibility: Highly competitive national selection process through the U.S. Navy. Must be admitted to Northwestern and accepted into the NROTC program. Based on merit and personal qualifications. Applicants apply directly through the Navy, not through Northwestern's financial aid office.
Renewal: Renewable for the duration of the scholarship term (two, three, or four years). Requires maintaining academic standing and fulfilling NROTC program requirements including coursework, physical fitness, and summer training.
Other terms: Northwestern is one of the few elite private universities that hosts an NROTC unit on campus. The 2024-2025 CDS reports 99 freshmen received institutional non-need-based athletic scholarships (averaging $53,131) and 375 undergraduates total, but ROTC scholarships are federally funded and reported separately. Army ROTC is available through the University of Illinois at Chicago; Air Force ROTC through the Illinois Institute of Technology.
https://undergradaid.northwestern.edu/types-of-aid/naval-reserve-officer-training-corps-nrotc.html
