Employee Reduced Tuition Benefits
As previously announced, there will be changes to the Employee Reduced Tuition Plan starting January 1, 2026.The Employee Reduced Tuition Plan provides financial assistance to full-time, benefits-eligible Northwestern University employees for undergraduate or graduate courses taken at the University. The benefit also applies to select non-credit programs billed through CAESAR.
To qualify, you must be a full-time, benefits-eligible employee as of the first day of the academic term. A 90% tuition reduction will be applied in CAESAR, up to the annual benefit limit. Student Finance will issue billing statements in CAESAR showing total tuition charges, the tuition benefit applied, and the remaining balance. You are responsible for paying any remaining balance. Some academic programs will require you to pay your portion of tuition in CAESAR before they will allow you to enroll.
The annual tuition benefit limit is:
- $12,000 for credit/degree courses hired before January 1, 2026
- $5,250 for credit/degree courses hired on or after January 1, 2026
- $5,250 for non-credit/certificate courses (included with the annual limits for credit courses - not a separate limit)
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 based on your hire date.
|
Employee Reduced Tuition Hired Before 1/1/2026 |
Employee Reduced Tuition Hired After 1/1/2026 |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Plan ID |
ER |
ER1 |
|
Employment Status |
Continuous full-time, benefits-eligible with a hire date before 1/1/2026 |
Full-time, benefits-eligible with a hire date after 1/1/2026 |
|
Years of Service |
No requirement |
No requirement |
|
Salary* |
No requirement |
No requirement |
|
Benefit |
90% Reduced Tuition |
90% Reduced Tuition |
|
Annual Limit |
$12,000, of which $5,250 may be used for non-credit courses billed through CAESAR |
$5,250 |
*Salary is base pay only, which includes faculty administrative commitments, and excludes bonus, add pays, etc.
Reminders
Deadline Reminder
Applications for courses taken in a calendar year (1/1 through 12/31, not Fiscal or Academic Year) must be submitted by December 15 of the year in which the courses are taken, to ensure there is enough time to process applications and apply calculate any taxes you owe. Only one application is required per calendar year (1/1 through 12/31, not Fiscal or Academic Year). This means if you have already applied for a prior term in the calendar year, you do not need to submit another application for the same calendar year (1/1 through 12/31, not Fiscal or Academic Year). Please note that applications submitted in the following calendar year for classes taken in the prior calendar year will not be accepted.
These user guides are available to assist you with processing your Employee Reduced or Enhanced Employee Reduced application.
Getting started
- 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.
- Apply for and be accepted into your program of study.
- Register for your courses.
- Pay Student Finance 10% of the total tuition.
- Apply for the tuition benefit. See step-by-step guide.
You only need to apply for the tuition benefit once per year at the start of the year or before your first term if you begin a program in the middle of a calendar 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.