Scolarships, Sponsorships, and Financial Aid Loans
Northwestern University and Qatar Foundation offer a variety of tuition financing opportunities.
Scholarships
Merit Scholarships
New scholarships are offered to incoming students only
Northwestern University offers a limited number of highly competitive scholarships for students of exceptional scholastic achievement. Students are automatically evaluated during the admissions process. Grantees will be informed of any awards in their acceptance letter from the University.
Qatar Foundation Merit Scholarships
The Merit Scholarship program at Qatar Foundation grants a limited number of scholarships each year to students who have completed at least two semesters at one of the Education City branch campuses. Students with a GPA of 3.6 or higher during their studies at Education City can apply for this scholarship.
Please note that selection is not guaranteed, as the number of scholarships available varies each year. For more information on the application process and requirements, please visit the Qatar Foundation Scholarship Office website.
Sponsorships
Qatari nationals may be eligible for sponsorship to fund portions of tuition.
Ministry of Education Sponsorship
Qatari nationals may be eligible for sponsorship under the Ministry of Education, which may fund a significant portion of tuition and certain fees. Students and their families are responsible for identifying and arranging this type of sponsorship.
For more information, please visit Scholarship Office of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
Government and Corporate Sponsorships
A good starting point: review the programs or benefits offered by the employer of a parent or other family member. Qatari nationals also may seek sponsorship from government agencies. Eligibility criteria and sponsorship terms are set by the individual organizations. Students and their families are responsible for identifying and arranging this type of sponsorship. The list changes every year and includes organizations such as Qatar Foundation, Ministry of Interior, Aspire Zone, Qatar Airways.
Loans
U.S. Federal Aid: Federal Direct Stafford Loan, ParentPLUS Loan
U.S. citizens and permanent residents (green card holders) may be eligible for the following U.S. federal aid:
- Federal Direct Stafford Loan
- ParentPLUS Loan
Interested students should complete the FAFSA application online after January 1st using Northwestern’s federal school code of 001739. More details on the above funds and their application processes can be found on Northwestern's financial aid webpage. Once you have completed the FAFSA, please notify Student Financial Services to ensure timely review and packaging of awarded aid.
QF Financial Aid Program
Through the QF Financial Aid Program, Qatar Foundation offers interest free, need-based loans to assist students in financing their education. Students are responsible for repayment of loans taken from Qatar Foundation upon graduation or in case of withdrawal from NU-Q. QF Financial Aid does not cover the full cost of attendance. Please contact fao-repayment@qf.org.qa for further details. An application fee of $50 (180 QAR) is required to apply for QF Financial Aid Program.
Student Employment
Full-time students can apply for part-time work on campus. Students may work up to 20 hours per week during the semester and typically earn QR 45-60 per hour.
Student employment through NU-Q
NU-Q employs students in a variety of positions including course assistants, research assistants, department assistants, and more.
Student employment through QF
QF employs students primarily in the residence halls and the HBKU Student Center.
View your Financial Aid Award and Invoice
View your Financial Aid Award
You can now view your financial aid awards, federal aid, sponsor aid, and scholarships through CAESAR in real-time!
Students can view their award summary at:
- CAESAR > Student Homepage> Financial Aid> View My Financial Aid
The award summary shows your annual aid award and your aid by term. It also shows any amounts that have been disbursed, and there are links to view scheduled disbursements for each term. You will need to select the appropriate aid year to view. If your aid is unavailable, your award decision may not be ready.
View Invoice
Accessing invoice information:
- CAESAR > Homepage > Account and Payments > View or Pay Tuition Bill
While this is not a financial aid page in CAESAR, financial aid recipients often inquire about these pages since the financial aid applies to their student account. The View My Account (Real-Time, Daily Activity) option provides the most up-to-date, 'live' information on the account. The View or Pay Tuition Bill (Monthly Snapshot) option is a link to QuikPay, which allows students to submit a payment electronically. The information on the View or Pay Tuition Bill page is only updated on the 10th of every month. For more information about billing, please visit the NU-Q Billing and Payment webpage(s).