Information for Veterans
Northwestern University School of Professional Studies (SPS) honors the sacrifices that our active duty service members, veterans, and their families have made for our country. The Student Services department is committed to helping you transition from the military to the classroom, whether you are entering college for the first time, transferring from another school, or returning from deployment. We understand that the process of transitioning from military service into a higher education environment can be challenging. We are dedicated to providing a positive and encouraging environment that engages our military students in pursuing their academic and professional goals.
We recommend speaking with an academic adviser so that you can have guidance on how to make the most of your student experience at SPS and best utilize the resources offered by our school and the university. Email spsacademicadvising@northwestern.edu to get connected to an academic adviser.
Using your Veteran Benefits at Northwestern University School of Professional Studies
Students may use most of the benefits offered through the Department of Veteran Affairs at Northwestern University, including all Chapters of the GI Bill®, Chapter 35 (DEA) and Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation). VA Educational Benefits do not include the Illinois Veteran Grant or Tuition Assistance through the Department of Defense for active duty personnel. These programs are not available to students enrolled in any program at Northwestern University. Students should reach out to the Chicago Office of Financial Aid if they have questions about whether or not a benefit can be used at Northwestern.
Which VA Educational Benefit is best for you?
To determine which VA educational benefit is best for you and to determine your eligibility for educational programs through the Illinois State Approving Agency, Veterans and active duty military members should contact the GI Bill hotline at 1-888-GIBILL1 (1-888-442-4551) to speak with a VA counselor and visit the VA website http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/get_started.asp.
Students must complete the 22-1990 form (application for VA educational benefits) or the 22-1995 form (request for change of program or place of training for VA educational benefits) through VA at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/apply.asp listing Northwestern University as their place of study.
Once a student has submitted the appropriate application through VA and has received his/her certificate of eligibility (COE), he/she should submit a copy of the COE to:
SPS Registrar Office
Kimberly Chapman
Registrar and VA Certifying Official
Northwestern University School of Professional Studies
Wieboldt Hall, 8th floor
339 E. Chicago Ave
Chicago Illinois 60611-3008
Email: kchapman@northwestern.edu
and
Chicago Office of Financial Aid
Northwestern University
710 N. Lake Shore Drive, Room 629
Chicago, IL 60611
financial-aid-chicago@northwestern.edu
Fax: 312-503-8700
so his/her enrollment may be verified with VA. Students are responsible for completing any necessary steps as directed by VA to ensure that Northwestern University receives the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill tuition payment and the VA’s portion of the Yellow Ribbon payment. Please refer to the Certificate of Eligibility or call 1-888-GIBILL1 (1-888-442-4551) to verify that you have completed all necessary steps with the VA.
Certifying your Enrollment
The School of Professional Studies Registrar’s Office will automatically certify your enrollment with VA for each term in which you are enrolled while pursuing your degree. In order to certify your enrollment with VA, you will need to submit a copy of your certificate of eligibility letter to our VA Certifying Official.
If you do not wish to be certified for a specific term or if you receive notice from VA that your benefits have been exhausted or will be exhausted during an upcoming term you will need to provide written notification to the certifying official using your Northwestern email account.
If you did not list Northwestern as your place of study when you applied for your benefits through VA, you will need to complete Form 22-1995 via the VA's VONAPP application database to update your place of study to Northwestern University. VA will not pay out any Veteran benefits for your studies at Northwestern until this is completed.
For students who are eligible for Post 9-11 GI Bill benefits at the 100% level and have been released from active duty, the School of Professional Studies is a proud participant in the Post 9-11 GI Bill Yellow Ribbon program (YR). Currently, there is a waitlist for these benefits, and students will be added to the SPS YR waitlist once they have met the SPS policy. Students generally move from the waitlist to the recipient list within 12-18 months and notified via their Northwestern email account when they become eligible for benefits under the Yellow Ribbon program.
Because payments for the tuition and fee portion of the Post 9-11 GI Bill are issued to the university directly, the Chicago Office of Financial Aid will add an anticipated VA benefit amount to your Northwestern University student account in time for the first bill as long as you are enrolled in courses and are charged applicable tuition and fees. They will remove the anticipated aid once the Northwestern Office of Student Accounts posts the actual payment from the VA to your student account. Anticipated aid will not be added for the housing or book and supply portion of the Post 9-11 GI Bill. Also, please note that students who receive benefits under other VA programs will not have anticipated aid added to their account because payments are issued to the Veteran or eligible dependent directly.
Financial Aid
Eligibility for specific benefit programs through the Department of Veteran Affairs are determined by VA directly. Students may visit the Chicago Office of Financial Aid for more information on using their benefits at Northwestern University or reach out to the office directly at 312-503-8722. Veterans may apply for federal (Title IV) financial aid in addition to their VA benefits. Receipt of federal aid will not reduce a Veteran's eligibility for VA educational benefits. *Please note that effective August 1, 2011, all aid not considered federal (Title IV) aid will reduce the Veteran's Post 9-11 GI Bill payment for tuition and fees.*
Federal (Title IV) aid includes:
- Federal Direct (Stafford) loan
- Federal Graduate PLUS loan
- Federal Perkins loan
- Federal Pell Grant
- Academic Competiveness Grant (ACG)
- National SMART grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Title IV aid DOES NOT include:
- Grants and Scholarship awarded by an institution
- Outside scholarship assistance obtained through private organizations meant specifically for tuition and fees
- Tuition reimbursement provided by employers or other sources
- Tuition rebates/reductions provided by Northwestern University to employees, their spouses or their children
- State grant assistance including but not limited to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission Monetary Award Program (ISAC MAP Grant)
Conversely, VA benefits will not reduce a student's eligibility for federal aid though it is recommended that Veterans take into account the amount of funding they receive from the VA when accepting or declining their federal loan assistance. Veterans may contact an advisor in the Office of Financial Aid at 312-503-8722 if they need assistance in determining the amount of loan funding they should accept or decline.
Chicago Office of Financial Aid
710 N. Lake Shore Drive, Room 629
Chicago, IL 60611
Hours: 8:30am - 5pm, M-F
financial-aid-chicago@northwestern.edu
Telephone: 312-503-8722
Additional Veteran and Financial Aid Resources
For additional Veteran and Financial Aid resources at Northwestern University, please visit Chicago Office of Financial Aid.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. Government web site at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.