Below are instructions for students who received an email award notice regarding their federal loans.

• Accept/Decline
• Federal Stafford Loan
• Federal Perkins Loan
• Supplemental Funding Options
• To Do Items
• Printing Your Award Notice
• NU NetIDs and Passwords  

You must accept or decline the loans you were offered. To do so:

1. Log into CAESAR using your NU NetID and password.
    
2. Go to For Students (or For Applicants) > Financial Services > Accept/Decline Financial Aid.
    
3. Select aid year.
   
   • 2010 (2009-2010 academic year)
      
4. Accept or decline your loans.
   • Accept the original amount or enter a lower amount. (Click on an individual loan to see the quarterly disbursement breakdown.)
   • Select a lender (Stafford and GradPLUS loans only).  
     • Click on the drop-down box next to the loan.
     • Make a selection from the list.
       If you need further information regarding selecting a lender, please click here.

Federal Stafford Loan

If this is the first time you have borrowed Federal Stafford Loan funds while attending NU, you must complete:

1. Online entrance counseling
2. Master Promissory Note (MPN)

If you are a continuing student who has borrowed Stafford Loan funds previously while attending NU, you are not required to complete another entrance interview or MPN. However, if you selected a different lender this year than the one used in prior years, you will need to complete an MPN with your new lender. 

1. After accepting your loan(s), please complete the online Stafford Entrance Counseling as soon as possible. Entrance counseling is a federal requirement for all first-time at NU borrowers and your loan(s) cannot be processed until it is completed. To complete your online entrance interview now, click here and select:

• Illinois   
• Northwestern University - The Graduate School* - Evanston, IL

2. After accepting your loan(s), and completing your online entrance counseling, the next step is completing your Stafford Master Promissory Note (MPN).

• If you selected one of the preferred lenders when you accepted your loan(s) on CAESAR, your lender will contact you within a few days with instructions for completing your MPN online (on their website).
   
• If you selected "OTHER" as your lender choice when you accepted your loan(s) on CAESAR, please contact your lender directly to obtain instructions for completing your MPN. VERY IMPORTANT: You must also provide Student Financial Services with your lender information (full name, address, and phone number) by email to gradfinaid@northwestern.edu. 

Once the above requirements are completed, your To Do list on CAESAR will be updated within a few days.  

* Students in McCormick, SESP, and the School of Communications should also make this selection.                                               

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Federal Perkins Loan

If you were offered and accepted a Federal Perkins Loan and this is the first time you are borrowing Perkins funds while attending NU, you will need to complete the following loan requirements on the Campus Partners website. If you are a continuing student who previously completed these requirements via the Campus Partners website, you do not need to do so again.

1. Entrance Counseling
2. Loan Interview
3. Master Promissory Note (MPN)
4. Truth in Lending/Total Loan Indebtedness Disclosure (TLID)

Campus Partners (iPROMise) will contact you by email with further instructions. Once ALL your Perkins loan requirements are completed, your To Do list on CAESAR will be updated within a few days.

If you wish to borrow supplemental loan funds (Federal GradPLUS Loan or private alternative loan), you may complete your loan application online at your lender's website. Your lender will inform Student Financial Services when you have received pre-approval for these borrowing options.

For additional information regarding supplemental funding options, please click here.

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Financial Aid To Do Items

To determine if you have outstanding loan requirements:

1. Log into CAESAR using your NU NetID and password.
    
2. Click on "To Do Item History" under "Financial Services"
    
3. Follow the instructions in the "Description" column next to each To Do Item. 

Some To Do Items (such as those mentioned above under the Perkins & Stafford Loans) cannot be completed until you have been contacted by your lender/servicer.

Once you complete a requirement, your To Do List will be updated within a few days. 

Printing Your Award Notice 

To print a copy of your award notice for your records or view a breakdown of your "Cost of Attendance" and "Expected Family Contribution":

1. Log into CAESAR using your NU NetID and password.
    
2. Go to For Students (or For Applicants) > Financial Services > View Financial Aid.
    
3. Select aid year.
   • 2010 (2009-2010 academic year)
      
4. Click on "Print Award Letter".
    
5. Click on "Financial Aid Eligibility" to view the breakdown. 

IMPORTANT: Do NOT return the paper award notice to Student Financial Services as the accept/decline process is now completed entirely online via CAESAR as described above.

NU NetIDs and Passwords

Your Northwestern University Network Identifier (NetID) and password identify you to the network and allow you to access a variety of resources and services such as your e-mail, Northwestern's online calendar (Plan-it Purple), CAESAR, Blackboard, University Library resources and IT lab printing.

Concerns regarding your NU NetID, if lost or forgotten, may be referred to the NUIT Support Center at consultant@northwestern.edu or 847/491-HELP(4357). NetIDs are assigned by your program coordinator.

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