Financial Aid Types
Information regarding federal student loans and federal work-study.
Midwestern University students who qualify for Financial Aid may qualify for federal loans and/or federal work-study.
National Student Loan Data System
The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is the U.S. Department of Education's (ED's) central database for student aid. NSLDS receives data from schools, guaranty agencies, the Direct Loan program, and other Department of ED programs. NSLDS Student Access provides a centralized, integrated view of Title IV loans and grants so that recipients of Title IV Aid can access and inquire about their Title IV loans and/or grant data.
You can access your federal student loan information from their website at: studentaid.gov.
Aggregate direct loan limits
| Students | Subsidized Maximum Outstanding Principal Balance (includes amounts borrowed as an undergraduate) | Combined Subsidized + Unsubsidized Maximum Outstanding Principal Balance (includes amounts borrowed as an undergraduate) |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate | $65,500 | $138,500 |
| Dental, Optometry, Osteopathic Medicine, PharmD, Podiatric Medicine, PsyD, Vet Med | $65,500 | $224,000 |
Annual direct loan limits
| Downers Grove Students | Maximum Annual Unsubsidized Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Graduate Students | $20,500 |
| PharmD 1st, 2nd, 3rd Year | $33,000 (9-month academic year) |
| PharmD 4th year | $37,167 (12-month academic year) |
| 1st, 2nd Year Osteopathic Medicine | $42,722 (10-month academic year) |
| 3rd, 4th Year Osteopathic Medicine | $47,167 (12-month academic year) |
| PsyD (amount varies, depends on length of enrollment during the academic year) | $33,000 varies |
| 1st, 2nd Year Dental; 1st, 2nd Year Optometry | $40,500 (9-month academic year) |
| 3rd, 4th year Dental; 3rd, 4th year Optometry | $47,167 (12-month academic year) |
| Glendale Students | Maximum Annual Unsubsidized Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Graduate Students | $20,500 |
| Years 1-3 PharmD, Years 1 - 4 PsyD | $37,167 (12-month academic year) |
| 1st, 2nd Year Optometry; 1st, 2nd Year Dental; Years 1-3 Vet Med | $40,500 (9-month academic year) |
| 1st and 2nd Year Osteopathic Medicine; 1st Year Podiatric Medicine | $40,500 (9-month academic year) |
| 3rd & 4th Year Osteopathic Medicine; 2nd , 3rd , 4th Year Podiatric Medicine; 3rd, 4th year Dental; 3rd& 4th Year Optometry, 4th year Vet Med | $47,167 (12-month academic year) |
Federal Work-Study
Federal work-study (FWS) is a federally subsidized part-time employment program offered to students who demonstrate financial need, as an alternative to student loans to help reduce loan debt.
- Financial Need is the difference between a school’s Cost of Attendance (COA) and the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC)/Student Aid Index (SAI) per their FAFSA. A student’s EFC can be found on their Student Aid Report, which can be accessed on studentaid.gov.
- Midwestern University actively discourages employment that conflicts with academic performance, and recommends that FWS students work no more than 20 hours per week. Students who have the summer quarter off can work up to 40 hours per week. Students can work no more than 8 hours in a day regardless of status.
Students employed under the FWS program can work on or off campus in a wide variety of jobs:
- On-campus employment opportunities examples include research, and office clerk.
- Off-campus employment is available through various local community service organizations, MWU- sponsored community outreach events, or off-campus research opportunities (if available.)
- Community service organizations and off-campus research opportunities must be approved by the Office of Student Financial Services before a student can start working.
- Students cannot be paid for community service work or any research position if it is a class requirement, if they are earning academic credit at the same time.
How to apply
Students first need to determine if they are eligible to participate in FWS and may do so by reviewing their award letter to determine if they have been allocated work-study funding. If they have not been allocated a FWS amount, they may contact their FWS Coordinator for more information.
- Eligible students who are interested in applying may login to the student portal to view available positions.
- Once a position is secured, students will need to complete the appropriate Employment Forms and return them to the Office of Student Financial Services.
- Students will also be required to complete 2 Canvas courses:
- Code of Responsibility (FERPA): This course explains important FERPA guidelines and policies.
- Federal Work-Study Informational Workshop: This course is designed to highlight a few main FWS policies and procedures and reviews important compliance standards.
- Students will be eligible to begin their FWS position after HR has completed their hiring process. Both the student and supervisor will be notified by email once this is completed.
FWS pay
Work-study allows students to earn $20 per hour; they are paid on a biweekly basis (every two weeks) for hours worked.
- Students who are interested in participating in work-study should indicate interest by selecting “Yes” to the FAFSA question, “Is the student interested in being considered for work-study.” Those who indicate “yes” will automatically be allocated FWS funds on their award letter, if determined eligible.
- Eligible students will initially be awarded $4000-4500, which is 200-225 hours for the award year.
- Students may refer to their award letter, accessible on the student portal, to locate this amount.
- Students are not obligated to work the full number of hours allocated on their award letter.
- Students who would like to earn more work-study are welcome to contact the Federal Work Study Coordinator at their campus to determine additional eligibility.
As a federally subsidized program, institutions are required to adhere to federal compliance standards as outlined by the Department of Education.