Frequently Asked Questions

While most of our students come from the Pacific Northwest, many come from all over the United States and from around the world. We have students from over 32 different countries at NU.

International students are limited both in where they may work, and how much they may work, by governmental regulations. An F-1 student may work only twenty (20) hours per week, and may work only on campus. Spouses, or family members of the F-1 student may not work. Additional hours of work are permitted during break periods, but extra work hours may or may not be available. Hourly wages for on-campus work will not provide sufficient funds to support education and thus are not permitted to be counted in the financial statement for visa purposes.

Graduate students and Junior/Senior level undergraduate F-1 visa students are eligible for off campus work authorization called CPT. There are regulations on this and more information can be found by contacting international@northwestu.edu.

The United States has no national health care plan and without insurance trips to the doctor are very expensive. For this reason, we require all F-1 visa students to purchase insurance through our provider.  The cost for this insurance is reasonable, and the coverage is excellent. This will be billed automatically to your account each semester.

International students can apply to most scholarships at NU. If you have a question about a specific scholarship, email international@northwestu.edu. F-1 visa students are not eligible for US government or State government aid programs. A common one that F-1 visa holders are ineligible for is FAFSA.

Undergraduate and CELE single students under 25 years of age live in the residence halls located on campus. Students 26 years old and older may live in shared student apartments that include bedrooms, a living room, dining room, and kitchen. Married students have access to apartments suitable for couples or families depending on availability. After a period of residence at Northwest University, mature students may apply to live in the on-campus apartments.

There is a bus stop within walking distance of campus. This bus goes to the two major cities, Bellevue and Seattle, along with other locations. Kirkland is a walkable city. Food, Restaurants and shopping are all within a short distance of campus.

If a student desires to have a car, the student will need to either have an international driver’s license or take driver’s training in order to take the Washington State licensing exam. All drivers are required by law to have liability insurance to operate a vehicle in the United States.