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Cost and Scholarships

Northwest offers nearly $22 million in scholarships each year.

Please note: The downloadable .PDFs are 508 compliant.

Scholarships

The following scholarships are available to students completing on-campus programs.

Letters after the scholarship name indicate who may be eligible for the award:
[UG] Undergraduate (Bachelor's Degree) | [G] Graduate (Master's Degree)

Northwest International Achievement Scholarship (NIAS) [UG] (For undergraduates entering fall 2024 and later)

This award will represent the value of the difference in price between in-state and out-of-state tuition. It is equivalent to approximately $7,832 during your first year based on 28 credit hours (the scholarship total will vary based on credit hours taken). 

For international NEW freshmen (first-year students) to be eligible for the NIAS, they must have a cumulative high school grade point average of 2.75 or higher.

For international NEW transfer students to be eligible for the NIAS, they must transfer to Northwest with a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA in at least 24 hours of transferable credit. Transfer students with fewer than 24 transferable hours will be eligible based on freshman criteria alone.

These are automatic scholarships that will be applied to the student's account. There is no scholarship application required to be considered for these scholarships.

Renewal Requirements:
  • 3.00 Northwest cumulative GPA and completion of 24 credit hours per academic year
  • Maximum award: 132 total Northwest credit hours earned
  • Stackable with Northwest Academic Merit Scholarships

Northwest International Achievement Scholarship (NIAS) [UG] (For undergraduates entering summer 2024 and earlier)

This award will represent the value of the difference in price between in-state and out-of-state tuition. It is equivalent to approximately $7,516 during your first year based on 28 credit hours (the scholarship total will vary based on credit hours taken).

For international NEW freshmen (first-year students) to be eligible for the NIAS, they must have graduated from a non-English speaking school and be at one of the following levels of English proficiency:

International freshmen who are not required to provide proof of English proficiency because they are from an English-speaking country are eligible with a 3.00 high school grade point average or with an SAT score of at least 1060 or ACT score of at least 21.

For international NEW transfer students to be eligible for the NIAS, they must transfer to Northwest with a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA in at least 24 hours of transferable credit and meet the standard NIAS English proficiency levels above. Transfer students with fewer than 24 transferable hours will be eligible based on freshman criteria alone.

These are automatic scholarships that will be applied to the student's account. There is no scholarship application required to be considered for these scholarships.

Renewal Requirements:

  • 3.00 Northwest cumulative GPA and completion of 24 credit hours per academic year
  • Maximum award: 132 total Northwest credit hours earned
  • Stackable with Northwest Academic Merit Scholarships

Northwest Academic Merit Scholarships [UG] (For undergraduate freshmen entering fall 2024 and later)

Merit-Chart

PDF Download View PDF



The President's Scholarship and Admission-Based Freshman Scholarships are mutually exclusive; they do not "stack" and cannot be combined.

View renewal information

Northwest Academic Merit Scholarships [UG] (For undergraduate freshmen entering summer 2024 and earlier)

Merit-Chart

PDF Download View PDF



The President's Scholarship and Admission-Based Freshman Scholarships are mutually exclusive; they do not "stack" and cannot be combined.

View renewal information

Transfer Scholarships [UG]

Transfer students with a minimum of 24 transferable credits may be eligible for scholarships if their transferable grade-point average (GPA) is at least the following:

Scholarship Index & Requirements Award Amount 
(fall/spring)
Renewal Requirements
Transfer Merit
  • 3.00-3.29 transferable GPA
  • $1,000
  • Requires completion of 24 credit hours per academic year and a 3.30 Northwest cumulative GPA.
  • Renews to an award amount of $500.
  • Maximum award: within 3 consecutive academic years (awarded fall, spring, summer with full time enrollment)
Transfer Academic Scholarship
  • 3.30-3.49 transferable GPA
  • $1,500
  • Minimum 3.30 Northwest cumulative GPA and completion of 24 credit hours per academic year
  • Maximum award: within 3 consecutive academic years (awarded fall, spring, summer with full time enrollment)
Transfer Distinguished Scholarship
  • 3.50-4.00 transferable GPA
  • $2,500
  • Minimum 3.50 Northwest cumulative GPA and completion of 24 credit hours per academic year
  • Maximum award: within 3 consecutive academic years (awarded fall, spring, summer with full time enrollment)
Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship (PTK)
  • Must be a member of PTK
  • 42 transferable completed credits from U.S. community college
  • 3.50 cumulative GPA
  • $3,500 
  • Minimum 3.50 Northwest cumulative GPA and completion of 24 credit hours per academic year.
  • Maximum award: within 3 consecutive academic years (awarded fall, spring, summer with full time enrollment)

All transfer scholarships

International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Scholarship [UG]

Requirements Award Amount
(fall / spring)
Renewal Requirements
  • First-time freshman
  • Accepted for admission by May 1
  • Actual award made upon confirmation that the IB Diploma has been earned
  • $1,000
    May receive in addition to other Northwest automatic scholarships
  • Maximum of 20 awarded
  • Nonrenewable

CS/IS International Graduate Achievement Scholarship [G]

To be eligible for the CS/IS International Graduate Achievement Scholarship, applicants must have a high level of achievement in their academic background and meet requirements for full admission to an on-campus graduate program in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems. Students in other graduate programs, online programs, or students conditionally admitted to the graduate school are not eligible.

With this award you will receive $500 toward your first semester tuition. The scholarship is a one-time award and is automatic. No application is needed.

Northwest Foundation and Major Specific Scholarships

To search an up-to-date listing of scholarships funded by the Northwest Foundation and view donor profiles, view the Northwest Scholarship search tool.

Northwest Scholarship Search 

Finances

Before deciding to attend Northwest, examine your financial situation carefully.

The Department of Homeland Security requires Northwest to certify that international students have been accepted for full-time enrollment and have sufficient funding to meet all expenses for tuition, housing and transportation, among other costs. Northwest requires a Statement of Support and bank statement from the student's family, sponsor or government.

The Statement of Support certifies that funds for tuition, room and board, as well as personal funds are available, and that the student is permitted to export and exchange those funds into the U.S. I-20 form cannot be issued without this certification.

Financial Assistance

The University's sources of financial assistance to international students are growing. There are academic-based scholarships available to students with desirable academic background credentials and also for exceptional scores on the ACT or SAT. However, there is no need-based financial assistance available for international students.

United States embassies and major binational culture centers can provide information about other sources of financial aid. Students may wish to contact the Institute of International Education, Latin American Scholarship Program of American Universities, American Friends of the Middle East, African-American Institute and the American-Korean Foundation.

Investigate government scholarships from your country.