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Employee Reduced Tuition Benefits

Both the Employee Reduced Tuition Plan and Enhanced Employee Reduced Tuition Plan provide financial assistance to full-time, benefits eligible Northwestern employees. This assistance can be applied toward the cost of undergraduate or graduate courses taken at the University, as well as non-credit, on-campus Professional Development Programs through the School of Professional Studies. 

Please note that the Employee Reduced Tuition Plan is subject to income tax withholdings of up to 37.6% of the value of the tuition you incur over $5,250 per calendar year.  Please see the Tuition Taxation website for more information.

As shown in the table below, the Employee Reduced Tuition Plan provides a maximum of $12,000 each calendar year; the Enhanced Employee Reduced Tuition Plan has no maximum. Eligibility for the Enhanced Employee Reduced Tuition Plan is based on years of benefit-eligible service and salary.  Review the Employee Reduced Quick Reference document for additional information.

Reminders

Applications for courses taken in calendar year 2022 must be submitted by December 15, 2022, to ensure there is enough time to process applications and apply calculate any taxes you owe.  Only one application is required per calendar year.  This means if you have already applied for a prior term in calendar year 2022, you do not need to submit another application for Fall 2022.  Please note that applications submitted in calendar year 2023 for classes taken in 2022 will not be accepted. 

These user guides are available to assist you with processing your Employee Reduced or Enhanced Employee Reduced application.

The application window for 2023 benefits will not open until early-December 2022

Getting started

1. Determine the course of study or program in which you would like to participate. A list of some eligible Northwestern programs can be found in the Professional Development section of our website.
2. Apply for and be accepted into the program.
3. Register for your courses.
4. Pay Student 10% of the total tuition.
5. Apply for the tuition benefit. See step-by-step guide.
6. Enter the year for the first term of the calendar year (not academic year).

Allowable expenses

This benefit is for undergraduate and graduate level courses taken at Northwestern University and billed through CAESAR. The benefit is limited to tuition only. A list of some eligible Northwestern programs can be found in the Professional Development section of our website. Benefit Payments Approved Employee Reduced Tuition Benefits will be applied directly to the employee's CAESAR account.

Benefit payments

Approved employee reduced tuition benefits will be applied directly to the employee's CAESAR account.

Certification

By submitting an application, you are agreeing to the following statement: I certify that the information provided is correct.  I agree to comply with the provisions of the Northwestern Tuition Benefits plan as described in the plan document.  I agree to pay, at the latest, by the due date on my student account for all tuition, fees and other related educational costs that are not covered by this benefit plan. I acknowledge that all applicable taxes will be taken from my paycheck(s), in accordance with IRS regulations. (For student account questions, contact Student Finance. For questions about taxation, contact Payroll.)

Frequency 

One online application (apply by logging in to myHR) is required per benefit plan for each calendar year (Jan - Dec) of study.  Use this step-by-step guide for assistance applying.

Documentation

For employee reduced tuition, you will need to collect the following information:

• Your student ID: Generally your employee ID (7-digit number on your WildCARD).
• Your grade level 
  • Undergraduate: freshman through senior 
  • Graduate: post-grad
• Your Northwestern school.
• Your program of study.