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Fika Program

Fika is a program that was created to provide a space for community and support in navigating resources for first-year international students on financial aid.

The program is called Fika for two reasons - 1) In Swahili, fika means to arrive, appropriate for incoming first-year students, and 2) In Swedish, fika means a break with your family, friends, or colleagues to socialize, which is reflective of the community building nature of the program. The program invites all first-year international students on financial aid to attend Fika Friday events and workshops that occur regularly throughout the academic year.

Each Fika Friday meeting will focus on a different topic that is relevant to first-year international students. For instance, one meeting might feature a student panel that offers advice on how best to take advantage of all the opportunities at Northwestern. Another meeting might invite a tax professional to speak with students on the complexities of taxes in the US, with an emphasis on how to navigate the tax system as an international student. All meetings will feature food and fun with a chance for students to get to meet each other and learn together.