Consumer Information

Northwestern College believes that individuals have the right to work, study, and learn in a safe and secure campus setting. The college, along with its students and employees, share the responsibility of maintaining this atmosphere by taking reasonable precautions, being vigilant, and using a common sense approach to personal safety.

Reporting Crimes and Emergencies

It is each person’s responsibility to report any incident of observed or suspected criminal activity by calling 911 and/or informing college personnel. The college will then determine what actions are necessary. These can include disciplinary action, informing law enforcement agencies, contacting emergency services, notification of the campus community, or other public safety response.

Security of Campus Facilities

The college’s buildings and grounds are monitored by off-duty police officers or security personnel. These officers are on duty at the college during times while classes are offered and students are on campus. All security personnel are available if needed in the event of an emergency.

Access to Campus Facilities

Building access is limited to students displaying a Northwestern College ID, college employees, and authorized visitors. Students who forget their ID must obtain a temporary one. Students are not permitted in buildings or classrooms unless a college employee is present. All visitors must register at the front desk. Solicitors are not permitted at any time.

Law Enforcement

The college’s security staff, to whom emergency reports are to be made, do not have the authority to arrest individuals. Their responsibility and authority is limited to enforcing college policies, regulations, and rules; providing assistance to the person making a security report; and contacting law enforcement or emergency agencies whenever appropriate.

Drug and Alcohol Policy

Consistent with its mission as an institution of higher education, NC is committed to educating students, faculty, and staff on the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse, and to maintaining an environment in which such abuse is prohibited. All students should be aware that substance abuse causes serious health risks: altered mood, altered behavior, sleep disorders, distorted senses, addiction, communication of infectious disease, altered breathing and heart rate, unconsciousness leading to coma, and permanent damage to the liver, heart, and central nervous system leading to death.

While on campus or at any College-sponsored event, faculty, staff, and students may not possess, use, deliver, sell, or distribute any illegal controlled substance. Further, faculty, staff, and students may not possess or consume alcoholic beverages on College property or at College-sponsored events, nor be present on College property or at College-sponsored events while under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances.

Those who violate this policy will be subject to College disciplinary action as well as the sanctions imposed by local, state, and federal laws. Students should be aware that substance abuse carries legal consequences which may include imprisonment, fines, and/or loss of property.

Public Safety.

The Illinois State Police compiles sex offender information. The State Police maintain a website where you can search the sex offender database. To learn the identity of registered sex offenders on or near campus, or anywhere in Illinois, visit www.isp.state.il.us/sor/. It allows you to search by city, county, or zip code.

The Oak Lawn campus is located in Cook County, Illinois 60455.

Sexual Assault Policy.

Refer to https://nc.edu/title-ix/.

Educational Programs

The College offers a variety of educational programs throughout the year. Topics include use and abuse of alcohol and drugs, personal safety, sexual assault, and other health issues. Topical brochures and pamphlets are also available. For scheduled times and other information, contact Student Services.

Campus Crime and Security

Northwestern College is in compliance with Title IV requirements regarding reporting and disclosing crime statistics. Jeanne Clery Campus Security Report and Policy provides campus crime statistics for the last three years which are available on the College website for potential students as well the NC Hub for current students and employees. The college is required to report statistics pertaining to the occurrence of crime on its campuses on an annual basis. To comply with this act, Northwestern College uses information from local law enforcement agencies and NC incident reports. NC sends an email notifying students where to find this information each fall before the first of October.

Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security (Clery Act)

The following statistics represent criminal offenses occurring on campus which were reported to the authorities during the past three calendar years.

Northwestern College Annual Campus Crime Statistics

Reported in accordance with Uniform Crime Reporting procedures and the Jeanne Clery Act

Northwestern College On-Campus

The Bridgeview Campus relocated to 9400 S. Cicero Ave., Oak Lawn, IL 60455 in Summer 2022. The reported statistics below for the years 2020 and 2021 reflect crimes adjacent to and at the former location in Bridgeview. Statistics reported for 2022 indicate crimes in Bridgeview (January to June) and Oak Lawn (June to December).

Public Property (Adjacent to the Former Bridgeview Campus & New Oak Lawn Campus) Hate crimes are criminal offenses committed against a person or property that are motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias. Bias is a preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their actual or perceived race, gender, gender identity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or national origin. Included in these statistics are hate crimes of murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, fondling, incest, statutory rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny-theft, simple assault, intimidation, and destruction/damage/vandalism of property. For the years 2020, 2021, and 2022 there were no reported hate crimes at the former Bridgeview location and at the current location in Oak Lawn (June to December 2022).  Northwestern College uses ConnectEd for emergency notifications to students, faculty, and staff. This system allows for the College to notify individuals as well as send mass messaging to groups in cases of emergency or to relay important information. In the case of emergencies such as a school closing, Northwestern College will notify you by email, phone message, college website, and various news media outlets. The communication type used is based on the requirements of the message to be delivered. Several members of campus and college administration have access to send messages to groups and the content of the information will be based on the particular situation. Northwestern College relies on its Emergency and Crisis Response Plan to determine evacuation methods for each location. The evacuation plan is tested annually either through unannounced or announced drills.

NC On-Campus

Criminal Offenses

Hate Crimes

Violence Against Women Offenses

Arrests

Disciplinary Actions

Unfounded Crimes

Property surrounding NC

Criminal Offenses

Hate Crimes

Violence Against Women Offenses

Arrests

Disciplinary Actions

Unfounded Crimes

Academic Integrity

Northwestern College is committed to upholding high standards of academic integrity and honesty. All students are expected to respect and adhere to these standards, and any incident of academic misconduct is viewed by the NC community as a serious offense. Any attempt by a student to present work as their own when it is not is regarded as academic misconduct. This encompasses all written and computer-based work that may include, but is not strictly limited to, homework, classroom assignments, compositions, essays, tests, and quizzes. Copying another student’s work or assisting another student in copying or cheating is academically dishonest and considered misconduct. Plagiarism is considered an act of academic misconduct. Material copied from books, encyclopedias, magazines, the Internet, or other sources that are not the student’s original work must be properly documented.

NC’s Computer Network

Students are advised that Northwestern College’s computer network is monitored and all network activity can be observed and traced by school officials. The network employs software for the purpose of detecting and preventing the illegal downloading of media files (music, videos, etc.).

For students enrolling at Northwestern College, credits for courses or degrees completed at another institution are subject to approval by the Registrar and/or the Program Director/Dean. These courses or degrees must be similar in content and duration to those offered in the program for which an applicant has applied. The Registrar will confer as needed with the Program Director or Dean to determine a final decision of accepted transfer credits from the received transcript. However, only courses listed on official transcripts receive permanent official transfer credit. To ensure that credit can be reviewed properly, transcripts should be sent directly to Northwestern College by the previous institution.

Please refer to the College Catalog for additional information regarding transfer of credit.

Transfer from Regionally Accredited Institutions.

Transfer credits are granted only for courses in which a grade of “C” or higher was earned (2.0 on a 4.0 scale).

Transfer from Non‐Regionally Accredited Institutions

Credit for courses from non‐regionally accredited institutions, which are substantially equivalent in content to Northwestern College courses and are applicable to an applicant’s program of study may be granted on a course‐by‐course basis. The acceptance of courses from non‐regionally accredited institutions is contingent upon appropriate faculty credentials and applicable course content of the course to be transferred. Transfer credits are granted only for courses in which a grade of “C” or higher was earned (2.0 on a 4.0 scale).

International Credit

Students who earned college credit outside of the United States must have an official translation and evaluation performed by an education credential evaluator which is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. For approved evaluation agencies, please contact the Records Department.

Articulation Agreements:

At this time Northwestern College does not have any active Articulation Agreements.

Northwestern College does have an Educational Partnership with Chamberlain University. For more information about this option click here.

Official Withdrawal:

Official Withdrawal. Students who wish to withdraw officially from the College should first contact their Advisor. To request to withdraw, students can submit a request in writing or communicate in person to their Advisor. In rare cases, the College may accept third-party notifications, particularly when the student may be incapacitated or otherwise unable to communicate with the College. All withdrawal notifications may be subject to verification. For a student who is dismissed or withdrawn during an academic term, both the official date of withdrawal and the official date of determination shall be the date the student began the official withdrawal process by notifying the College, the date the College became aware of the student’s intent to withdraw through written communication, or the date the student was dismissed/administratively withdrawn for any reason, whichever is earliest.

Unofficial Withdrawal. If a student ceases participating without providing official notification to the College, the date of determination will be the date the College became aware of the student’s intent to withdraw through the Advisor or the last day that the student completed a qualifying academic activity. Students who withdraw from the College or who are unofficially withdrawn prior to the 10th week of class will receive a “W” grade in their course(s). Students who have participated in class past the 10th week and who are officially or unofficially withdrawn will receive the grade or grades they have earned in the class(es)

Fees:

Fees are not refundable.

Tuition Refund Schedule:

The tuition refund will be calculated according to the student’s withdrawal date and the tuition refund schedule. It is the student’s responsibility to drop a course by published deadlines.

Courses of 11 Weeks:

• 100% refund for withdrawal days 1-7 of the quarter
• 50% refund for withdrawal days 8-14 of the quarter
• 0% refund for withdrawal after day 14 of the quarter

Return of Title IV Funds:

When a student withdraws, federal law mandates specific procedures for the calculation of Title IV funds. Title IV fund return calculations are based on the date the student withdrew or ceased attending (the last date the student participated in class). Any unearned Title IV funds must be returned to the appropriate Title IV program. When a student withdraws, the College calculates how much of the Title IV grants and loans the student has earned for the payment period as of the date of withdrawal (the last date the student participated in class).

Calculation Information:

A pro-rata schedule is used to determine the amount of Title IV funds the student has earned at the time of withdrawal. After the 60 percent point in the payment period, a student will have earned 100 percent of the Title IV funds they were eligible to receive.

The percentage of Title IV aid earned is determined by dividing the total number of calendar days in the payment period (quarter) for which the assistance is awarded divided into the number of calendar days completed in that period as of the date of withdrawal.

Returns are calculated according to applicable federal laws. If, based on the calculation, the student has earned less than the amount of Title IV funds disbursed, the unearned funds must be returned to the Title IV Programs. The College must return the lesser of:

• the amount of Title IV funds that the student has not earned, or
• the amount of institutional charges that the student incurred for the payment period multiplied by the percentage of Title IV funds that was not earned

The student (or parent, in the case of a PLUS loan) must return or repay, as appropriate:

• any Title IV loan funds in accordance with the terms of the loan
• the unearned portions of Title IV grant funds that exceed 50% of the original award

Financial Aid Programs Refund Sequence:

Unearned funds returned by the college or the student must be credited to outstanding balances on Title IV loans made to the student or on behalf of the student for the payment period or period of enrollment for which a return of funds is required. Those funds must be credited to outstanding balances for the payment period for which the return of funds is required in the following order:

• Direct Stafford Unsubsidized Loans
• Direct Stafford Subsidized Loans
• Direct PLUS loans received on behalf of the student

If unearned funds remain to be returned after repayment of all outstanding loan amounts for the payment period, the remaining excess must be credited to any amount awarded for the payment period for which a return of funds is required in the following order:

1. Federal Pell grants
2. Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants
3. Federal SEOG program aid
4. Other grant or loan assistance authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act

Refund Disbursement:

Refunds are calculated from the official date of withdrawal from the college. All refunds will be issued within 30 days from the date the student withdrew.

In accordance with the eCFR, 34 C.F.R. §668.22 (g) and (j), Northwestern College will return the amount of Title IV funds for which it is responsible 34 C.F.R. §668.22 (g) as soon as possible, but no later than 45 days after the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew as defined in 34 C.F.R. §668.22 paragraph (l)(3). The timeframe for returning funds is further described in § 668.173 paragraph (b).  If a Title IV credit balance exists on a student’s account that has withdrawn, the college will hold the credit balance until the R2T4 calculation is performed.  If a credit balance exists after the R2T4 calculation is performed and any unearned aid has been returned, the credit balance will be paid to the student (or parent, if applicable) as soon as possible and no later than 14 days after the calculation of the R2T4.

Northwestern College is an institution that is not required to take attendance; therefore, Northwestern College will determine the withdrawal date for a student who withdraws without providing notification to the institution no later than 30 days after the end of the earlier of the -

i) Payment period, as appropriate, in accordance with 34 C.F.R. §668.22 paragraph (e)(5);

ii) Academic year in which the student withdrew; or

iii) Educational program from which the student withdrew.

Post-Withdrawal Disbursement Process

A Post-Withdrawal Disbursement (PWD) is identified as Title IV funds earned by the student that exceeds the amount of federal financial aid that was disbursed. If a PWD is identified, Northwestern College notifies the student with a letter of their loan and grant eligibility within 30 days of the date of the school’s determination that the student withdrew. The student (or parent for PLUS loans) has 30 days to respond authorizing the PWD of loan funds. The student has no more than 45 days after the letter to request the Grant. (Note: the student does not have to accept a PWD of Grants funds. However, the school is required to disburse a PWD of grant funds as soon as possible but no later than 45 days after the date of the school’s determination that the student withdrew. This is explained below).

The student must submit a written statement permitting Northwestern College to request Post Withdrawal Disbursement (PWD) of all or a portion of loan funds. Should the student not respond within 30 days from the date of the letter, Northwestern College will cancel the disbursement and reduce the total amount of the loan. Post-withdrawal grants are disbursed to cover direct costs. Any Post Withdrawal Disbursement (PWD) of grant funds disbursed directly to the student will be made as soon as possible but no later than 45 days. If all or a portion of the Post Withdrawal Disbursement (PWD) is credited to the student’s account and creates a credit balance, the credit balance will be paid to the student within 14 days of the date of the disbursement of the post-withdrawal. The student will receive notification of the grant disbursement.

Northwestern College encourages students to be active participants in the American political system as part of being responsible members of their community.

This link will connect you to voter registration information from the Illinois State Board of Elections. Each year the college celebrates “Constitution Day” on or during the week of September 17.

Anti-Drug Abuse Policy at Northwestern College

Northwestern College operates under the United States Department of Education’s drug prevention program and the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988.

Drug and Alcohol Policy

Consistent with its mission as an institution of higher education, NC is committed to educating students, faculty, and staff on the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse, and to maintaining an environment in which such abuse is prohibited. All students should be aware that substance abuse causes serious health risks: altered mood, altered behavior, sleep disorders, distorted sense, addiction, communication of infectious diseases, altered breathing and heart rate, unconsciousness leading to coma, and permanent damage to the liver, heart, and central nervous system leading to death.

While on campus or at any college-sponsored event, faculty, staff, and students may not possess, use, deliver, sell, or distribute any illegal controlled substance. Further, faculty, staff, and students may not possess or consume alcoholic beverages on college property or at college-sponsored events, nor be present on college property or at college-sponsored events while under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances.

Those who violate this policy will be subject to college disciplinary action as well as the sanctions imposed by local, state, and federal laws. Students should be aware that substance abuse carries legal consequences which may include imprisonment, fines, and/or loss of property.

Resources/Web Links:

Illinois Controlled Substances Statute

Links to Information about Drug and Alcohol Addiction, Abuse, and Recovery:

National Institutes of Health – Drug Use and Addiction

Drugs and Addiction

Illinois Department of Public Health

Introduction

The Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA) of 2008 requires Northwestern College to implement a plan to “effectively combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material by users of the institution’s network, without unduly interfering with educational and research use of the network.”

To that end, the college will:

• Provide an annual disclosure to students describing copyright law and campus policies related to violating copyright law.
• Create a plan to “effectively combat” copyright abuse on the campus network using “one or more technology-based deterrents”.
• Promote “alternatives to illegal downloading”.

Technology-Based Deterrents

The college will use appropriate technology-based deterrents to reduce and/or eliminate the practice of illegally sharing copyrighted material.

• The college deploys firewalls and filtering technology to monitor and control access to its network-accessible computing resources.
• The college will actively investigate any reports of illegal file sharing activities on its network, and will take appropriate action as defined in the College Catalog and Employee Handbook.
• The college continues to research additional technology alternatives that are capable of detecting and blocking file sharing applications.

In addition, students are bound by existing college policies that specifically prohibit the use of copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright holder.

Alternative Online Sources for Copyrighted Materials

There are many ways to legally obtain and enjoy music and other types of media, which do not violate the rights of copyright holders. Sharing music without respecting the rights of copyright holders can lead to DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) notices and possible lawsuits. Members of the NC community are encouraged to take advantage of legitimate sources of digital content. A directory of sources for obtaining digital content can be accessed on this web page.

Annual Disclosure

All students are required to adhere to the Student Responsibilities, Policies, and Procedures as contained within the Northwestern College Catalog. These Responsibilities, Policies, and Procedures contain the Peer-to-Peer File Sharing statement. The current College Catalog can be accessed online.

Quarterly the college will send an email to all students regarding illegal distribution of copyrighted materials.

Reviewing Effectiveness

Beginning in 2011-12 and periodically thereafter, the college will survey students to assess the extent to which our anti-piracy messages are reaching them, the extent to which students are taking advantage of legal alternatives, and other aspects of our plans to combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)

FERPA provides current and former students with the right to inspect and review educational records, the right to seek to amend those records, the right to limit disclosure of information from the records, and the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. Students may also waive their rights to inspect confidential letters or statements of recommendation.

FERPA and Information Security at Northwestern College

Northwestern College carefully protects all personal information in our possession regarding students and their families. The school employs office procedures and password-protected computer systems to ensure the security of paper and electronic records. The school does not disclose its security procedures to students or the general public to protect the effectiveness of those procedures. Access to social security numbers is strictly limited to School Officials (see definition below) with a need-to-know, as determined by the Registrar.

School Official

A school official is a College employee in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Directors; or a student serving on an official committee (such as a disciplinary or grievance committee), or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the College discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. [Note: FERPA requires an institution to make a reasonable attempt to notify the student of the records request unless the institution states in its annual notification that it intends to forward records on request.]

Financial Aid Information:

Certain information necessary for the processing of federal financial aid programs may be disclosed to parents of dependent students. In order for a person to be considered a “parent” for this purpose, the individual must be listed as such on the student’s FAFSA application.

Directory Information:

School Officials may not disclose personally identifiable information about a student nor permit inspection of student records without the student’s written permission, unless such action is covered by certain exceptions permitted by FERPA. Under the provisions of the Act, a school may disclose information about a student if it has designated that the information is “Directory Information”. Northwestern College has designated the following as Directory Information:

• student’s name, address, and telephone number
• date and place of birth
• major field of study
• participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• dates of attendance
• most recent previous educational institution attended
• grade level or enrollment status (e.g., full-time or part-time)
• degrees, honors, and awards received
• date of graduation
• photographs
• email address

Students’ Rights Under FERPA

Right to Inspect and Review Educational Records:

The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the College official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

Right to Request an Amendment:

Students have the right to request an amendment to educational records that are believed to be inaccurate. Students requesting a change must write the college official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate. If the college decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the college will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

Right to Consent to Disclosures:

Students have the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s educational records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. Disclosure without consent is permitted to law enforcement agencies or emergency services agencies in the performance of their duties or when student safety may be in jeopardy.

Right to File Complaint:

Students have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Northwestern College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202.

The College is in compliance with Title IV requirements regarding reporting graduation rates, diversity and retention. This information is also available via the NC Student Hub. The following link provides this information; the link will bring you to College Navigator provided by the National Center for Education Statistics.

Oak Lawn Campus and NC Online

Satisfactory Academic progress (sap)

The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, mandates institutions of higher education establish a standard of satisfactory academic progress for students who receive Title IV funds. This standard applies to the student’s entire academic history, whether Title IV aid was received or not. In order to remain eligible to receive aid at Northwestern College students must meet the standards specified for acceptable academic performance and for Satisfactory Academic Progress toward the completion of their program of study.

All NC students must maintain satisfactory progress toward completion of their academic program. Students who fail to meet the academic progress standards (below) are subject to both academic penalties and the potential loss of eligibility for federal and Illinois student financial aid. SAP will be evaluated for all returning students.  Students failing to meet SAP will be handled according to the guidelines in our SAP policy.  This might also include a determination that the student is not eligible for Title IV aid based on their failure to maintain SAP standards.  In this case, the student will be notified of any appeal opportunities that are available to them as well as how to regain eligibility for Title IV aid.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Components

• Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA): Students must maintain a specified minimum cumulative grade point average within their program as listed in the Satisfactory Progress Table. College-level credits (non-remedial) carrying grades A, B, C, D, or F are considered in the CGPA calculation. Grades of P, I or W, or transfer credits do not affect the CGPA. Cumulative grade point averages will be recalculated when an “incomplete” (I) grade is updated. If a class is repeated, only the higher grade will be calculated in the GPA.
• Maximum Time Frame: Students must complete the academic program within 150% of the required number of credits for completion of a degree or certificate program. Both institutional credits and all transfer credits accepted by Northwestern College are included in the calculation for Maximum Time Frame. Students will lose Title IV eligibility when it becomes mathematically impossible for them to complete their academic program within 150% of its length as measured in credit hours.
• Completion Rate: Students must maintain a specified percentage of credit hours completed within their program as listed in the Satisfactory Progress Table. Credit hours associated with courses in which a student remained past the add/drop period and earned a grade of a W (withdrawal) are included in the Completion Rate Percentage calculation). College-level (non-remedial) credits for courses taken at NC or accepted as transfer credit by NC are considered “attempted credits” regardless of the grade received. “Completed credits” include all “attempted credits” for which credit has been earned. This includes courses for which grades of A, B, C, D, or P have been earned.

Satisfactory Progress Table

Degree Programs

Hours Attempted

Certificate Programs

Hours Attempted

Monitoring

Northwestern College will measure students’ eligibility for financial aid at the end of EVERY quarter (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer) and will measure for all SAP components. The updated status will be effective for the following quarter.

Financial Aid Warning

• A status assigned to a student who fails to make SAP and will be granted automatically without a written appeal from the student (at least one credit will have been completed in the semester).
• A student on Warning may continue to receive financial aid for one payment period.
• A student on Warning who then fails SAP standards the next payment period will be placed on Financial Aid Termination.

Financial Aid Probation

If a student does not meet SAP standards at the end of the Financial Aid Warning period, the student is placed on Financial Aid Termination. If the student successfully appeals Financial Aid Termination, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. A student on Probation must follow all stipulations, outlined in the SAP determination letter, including any academic plan, if applicable, to be considered for Title IV eligibility. Terms of the academic plan are defined in the approval letter.

Once placed on an academic plan:

• The student remains on probation.
• The student must fully comply with the academic plan each term. Compliance is checked at the end of each payment period. Failure to fully comply with all aspects of the plan will result in Termination. If terminated, the student will be notified of the steps that must be taken before there will be any future consideration for aid eligibility.

Financial Aid Termination

All federal, state, and most institutional aid is canceled immediately upon Financial Aid Termination. Any of the conditions listed below will result in Financial Aid Termination:

• A student’s failure to comply with the stipulations of the academic plan.
• First-year students (completed less than 30 Northwestern College credits) with a zero-completion rate for a single term.

Following a Financial Aid Warning status, students who meet any of these conditions are placed on Financial Aid Termination:

• Northwestern College Cumulative GPA is less than the minimum CGPA requirement listed in the Satisfactory Progress Table above.
• Pace of completion is below 67% (students must satisfactorily complete at least 67% of attempted courses)
• For Maximum Time Frame: if a student cannot mathematically complete required coursework before reaching the 150% maximum credits for his/her degree program, the U.S. Department of Education regulations require Termination. See the Financial Aid Termination section for additional information.

Financial Aid Notice of Maximum Time Frame

The maximum time frame calculation is based on the student's total number of attempted credits in relation to 150% of the current program of study requirements. This calculation includes all attempted and completed credits at Northwestern College and transfer credits from other institutions.

Exceeds Maximum Time Frame

Northwestern College, in accordance with U.S. Department of Education regulations, has set a maximum time frame in which students are expected to complete their program. As stated above, the maximum time frame calculation is based on the student's total number of attempted credits in relation to 150% of the current program of study requirements. This calculation includes all attempted and completed credits at Northwestern College and transfer credits from other institutions.

When 150% of the attempted credits is reached, the student will be placed in Exceeds Maximum Time Frame status. Affected students who have reached or exceeded the maximum time frame for their program can complete a Maximum Time Frame Appeal to have their status reviewed.

Refer to the following chart for the maximum number of attempted credits including transfer credits from other colleges that will be counted in the determination of maximum attempted credits.

Appeal Process

A student who is placed on Financial Aid Termination is suspended from registering for future courses.  Students may appeal the suspension based upon mitigating circumstances. Mitigating circumstances are defined as circumstances beyond the student’s direct control that led to, or substantially contributed to, the student’s academic difficulty. A mitigating circumstance may be personal (e.g., death of a relative, injury or illness of the student) or academic (e.g., learning disability).

Suspended students who wish to appeal must write a letter to the Appeals Committee; the letter must include:

• The reason(s) the student failed to meet academic progress requirements.
• A description of what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow the student to demonstrate academic progress at the next evaluation.

The Appeals Committee will render a decision on each appeal and notify the student in writing. Appeal decisions made by the Appeals Committee are final and cannot be reappealed.  Students can email their appeal letters to [email protected].

Appeal Approval/Probation Status

If an appeal is approved, the student will return in Probation status and will be required to follow an academic plan after meeting with an advisor. For students who have applied for or are receiving student financial aid, Academic Probation status is equivalent to Financial Aid Probation status (see above).

Regaining Title IV Eligibility

Students who appeal and are re-admitted following being placed on Financial Aid Termination must meet SAP requirements after completing one quarter to regain eligibility for Title IV financial aid.

Notification

Students will be notified in writing (via their NC email) when they are placed on or removed from warning, probation, suspension, or restriction status, or have exceeded the maximum time frame.

Professional Licensure Disclosure Statements

MA, DA, Coding, and HIT Students

Northwestern College has reviewed the curriculum in the Medical Assistant, Coding Specialist, Health Information Technology, and Dental Assistant programs and determined that each program meets the educational requirements for certification in the state of Illinois and Indiana.

Northwestern College has not made a determination that the curriculum in these programs meets the State educational requirements for certification in any other state.

Nursing & Radiography Students

Northwestern College has reviewed the curriculum for the Nursing and Radiography programs and determined that each program meets the educational requirements for licensure in the state of Illinois and Indiana.

Northwestern College has not made a determination that the curriculum in these programs meets the State educational requirements for licensure in any other state.

The following information reflects the pass rates for Northwestern College programs that prepare students for licensure, certification, or other qualifying examination. Data for each program is based on the number of students who took and passed the certification or licensure exam during the calendar year.

Dental Assisting Certificate Program

Graduates are eligible to sit for the Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) certification exam offered by American Medical Technologists (AMT).

First Attempt

Health Information Management Baccalaureate in Science Degree

Graduates are eligible to sit for the Registered Health Information (RHIA) exam.

First Attempt

Health Information Technology Associate in Applied Science degree
Graduates are eligible to sit for the Registered Health Information (RHIT) exam.

First Attempt

Medical Assisting Certificate Program

Graduates are eligible to sit for the Certification Examination Performance (RMA) exam administered by the American Medical Technologists (AMT).

First Attempt

Nursing Associate in Applied Science degree

Information provided by the State of Illinois for individuals taking the NCLEX for the first time.

Student Performance on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX)

Eventual Pass Rate by Graduate's Year of Completion

*Many of these students are still testing

Radiologic Technology Associate in Applied Science degree
Information provided by the AART only for individuals taking the exam for the first time within 6 months of graduation.

Student Performance on the ARRT Exam

First Attempt

2023 Annual Retention Rate

Student retention rate is measured based on the number of students who are currently considered active students. A student is considered retained as long as he/she are in active status. The College actively manages the student status using the attendance guidance policies in the College Catalog.

Completion Rate 2023 = 82%

Annual completion rate for 2023 was calculated by reviewing all students who were expected to graduate during the Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall Quarters.

86 out of the expected 105 did complete their programs in 2023.

Completion Rate for First-Time/Full-Time Students

*Please note that this is measured using the IPEDS “Student Right to Know” graduation rate.  The data presented below represents 44% of entering students in 2022. For additional information, click here.

2016 Cohort

Northwestern College was notified on February 4, 2022, that the United States Department of Education transferred NC from the Advance method of payment to Heightened Cash Monitoring 2 (HCM2) method of payment effective immediately. This action was taken to ensure Title IV aid is awarded with proper student documentation.  For additional information regarding HCM2 you may refer to the Federal Student Aid website. If you have questions, please email [email protected].