Portable Tuition Benefits
Northwestern University’s Dependent Portable Tuition Plan offers financial assistance to full-time, benefits-eligible faculty and staff for undergraduate tuition costs incurred by their dependent child(ren) under age 24. Eligible courses must be taken at a U.S.-accredited, FAFSA-approved college or university other than Northwestern.
To qualify, you must be employed in a full-time, benefits-eligible position for at least five years as of the first day of classes for the term in question. Your most recent University hire date also determines eligibility. The benefit covers up to eight full-time academic semesters or twelve full-time academic quarters per dependent child, with term limits applied separately to each eligible dependent.
This benefit is not considered non-cash compensation and is not included in taxable wages.
You must apply for the benefit each term (step-by-step guide). Once approved, Northwestern will issue payment either to the college or university (if tuition has not yet been paid) or to you via Payroll (if tuition has already been paid and proof of payment is submitted). Checks will not be mailed directly to another institution, and Northwestern is not responsible for late fees or penalties. Applications will not be expedited due to external payment deadlines. Only tuition expenses qualify for this benefit. Costs such as room, board, fees, and student health insurance are not eligible.
Reminders
Dependent Portable Tuition applications must be submitted each term with one application per dependent. Applications are processed in the order in which they are received. Timely submission of you request will ensure your application is processed. However, during peak times during the year, processing times will increase. We cannot guarantee that all applications will be processed prior to another institutions tuition payment due date.
For assistance completing your application, please see the Dependent Portable Tuition step-by-step guide.
Eligibility
Dependent children taking undergraduate courses as full-time students at schools other than Northwestern University may take advantage of this benefit. You must be a full-time, benefits-eligible position for at least five years as of the first day of classes for the term in question.
Allowable expenses
The maximum number of terms for which the Dependent Portable Tuition Plan benefit will be paid for a dependent child is 8 full-time academic semesters or 12 full-time academic quarters. The plan only reimburses tuition and will never cover fees.
Scholarships and grants are included in the Dependent Portable Tuition Benefit calculation even if they are not exclusively applicable to tuition. If scholarships and grants equal less than 50% of the tuition, then the benefit is 50% of the total tuition. If scholarships and grants equal more than 50% of tuition, then the benefit is equal to the tuition minus the scholarships and grants (the tuition benefit plus scholarships and grants can never be more than the tuition).
Benefit payments
Approved Dependent Portable Tuition benefit amounts may be paid to the employee or to the student's institution.
To the employee:
- The application must include proof of full payment.
- Tuition benefits will be processed through payroll and paid via direct deposit. If you have multiple accounts designated for your payroll direct deposit, the tuition benefit may be disbursed to all accounts. Please contact the Benefits Division if you do not want this to occur.
To the institution:
- Checks are made payable to the school.
- Checks are issued by Accounts Payable and forwarded to the Benefits Division for pick up, or mailing to the employee.
- Employees are responsible for getting the payment from Northwestern to the student's institution.
| Required Qualified Service | Tuition Benefit | Plan ID |
|---|---|---|
|
5 Years of Continuous Full-time Service: hired before 1/1/2026 |
Up to 50% of billed tuition |
DP1 |
|
5 Years of Continuous Full-time Service: hired after 1/1/2026 |
Up to 40% of billed tuition |
TBD |
|
Hired Before 1/1/2000 with Continuous Full-time Service* |
100% of billed tuition up to $5,616 per academic year ($2,808 per semester or $1,872 per quarter) |
DP0 |
* Eligibility requires date of hire prior to January 1, 2000. Employees hired prior to January 1, 2000 may choose either the percentage or flat amount plan for each child in a family. Once the percentage plan is chosen for a child, an individual may not later choose the flat amount plan for that same child.
Application
To apply for tuition benefits from this plan, you must complete a Dependent Portable Tuition Benefit Application online each term. For additional assistance, use this step-by-step guide to complete the application. 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 Benefit plan as described in the plan document.
Frequency
An online application is required per dependent child for each term (semester, quarter or trimester) of study.
Documentation
For each dependent portable tuition application, you will need to submit the following documentation:
- An itemized tuition bill from the school bearing the student's name.
- Proof of full payment (If you want the check made payable to you).