Together for Tuition: Keep Northwestern’s Promise to Staff 

We write to voice our strong opposition to the plan announced June 12, 2025 to eliminate the Enhanced Employee Reduced (EER) Tuition Benefit — a program that provides 90% tuition reduction without an annual limit for Northwestern University employees earning under $100,000.

We Urge Northwestern to Take the Following Actions:

I. Immediately retract the policy change announced on June 12, 2025.

The announcement to discontinue these earned benefits was abrupt and displaced full-time employees into unfair financial hardships.

II.  At a minimum, honor commitments made to current employees by preserving the existing EER benefit promise for those already hired under it.

If a full retraction is not possible, phase the policy in and apply it only to future hires. These staff members made career, financial, and educational decisions based on a clear promise from the University—it must be kept. Currently enrolled staff rely on these benefits to complete their degrees. Additionally, currently employed staff have been working towards these benefits for years, making life-changing decisions based on the assumption that Northwestern would provide these benefits.

This policy reversal is not only a broken promise to Northwestern staff but a direct threat to the University's ability to recruit, retain, and grow a skilled and committed workforce. It is a decision that undermines the very values the institution claims to uphold: equity, access, and investment in its people.

Read the full letter to Northwestern leadership here and sign below now. 

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