STUDENT PERKS ON CAMPUS

By DIVYA BHARDWAJ daily senior staffer

From free entry to the Art Institute of Chicago to Xfinity streaming services, your tuition covers much more than just classes. Here’s a list of free resources available to you as a Northwestern student, both on and off campus.

A Wall Street Journal membership

Courtesy of NU Libraries, all students can receive a membership to the WSJ. While the publication’s primary focus is on economics, its coverage also includes lifestyle and fashion articles, as well as book, television and film reviews.

For help writing your essays, look no further than the second floor of Main Library. At the Writing Place, you can consult with peers to brainstorm paper ideas, edit and revise a rough draft or help work on applications.

As a student living on campus, you’ll have access through Xfinity to live TV and ondemand streaming, including Max (formerly known as HBO Max). If you eventually move off campus, you’ll still be able to watch more than 90 live TV channels.

All NU undergraduates receive free entry to the Art Institute of Chicago. The museum’s collection includes works by Van Gogh, Picasso and Monet.

At Main Library, students can access the recently installed Bloomberg Terminal, a professional tool used to analyze real-time market data. For students studying economics or hoping to go into finance, the Terminal provides an industry-standard resource.

Groups on campus regularly host events and speakers, including Monica Lewinsky and Karan Brar. According to its website, the ASG weekly newsletter will feature upcoming campus events, information about student organizations and resources to access through the University.

divyabhardwaj2025@u.northwestern.edu temp job in which the student is paid outside of the work-study program. Otherwise, the position must be terminated, according to NU’s work-study website.

Students who qualify for work-study will be notified of their eligibility in their yearly financial aid award letter. Eligible students are not required to participate, but each student who chooses to must accept the allotment before beginning their affiliated positions.

Once the work-study package has been accepted, students may go onto the work-study website for more information about applying for work-study jobs, which can include everything from lifeguarding at Henry Crown Sports Pavilion to assisting with teaching preschoolers in the Evanston community. virginiahunt2026@u.northwestern.edu

On the website, employers list hourly pay for specific jobs as well as the average weekly time commitment expected from students. Though the idea of working a job while also juggling school, friends and clubs can sound daunting, most students only work 6-10 hours a week, with an absolute cap of 20 hours.

While supervisors tend to be flexible and understanding of the often chaotic schedule of an undergraduate, it is best to communicate other commitments upfront during the initial interview process.

After being accepted for a position, students must fill out hiring documents such as a WorkStudy Authorization Form, which must be completed for both new and returning employees.

After this, students will gain access to Northwestern’s myHR Employee Portal, where they can set up direct deposit and view paychecks. Work-study is not credited directly to a student’s tuition bill, but rather the payment is provided to the student either by check or direct deposit.

After this, qualifying students may begin working. If you end up feeling like the job you’ve chosen isn’t for you, you aren’t locked in. Students may apply to work-study positions at any point in the academic year.

Another way to make work-study more interesting is to split time between two jobs, which is allowed as long as the 20 hour weekly cap is not exceeded. Though this isn’t the most common route to fulfill your work-study allotment, it is available to students.

Another resource in understanding workstudy and choosing the best option for you is your academic advisor, who can help to answer specific questions and help.