NORRIS UNIVERSITY CENTER

Please visit the Student Organizations & Activities website for more information on contract procedures

• Northwestern University Contract and Rider Agreement (PDF) 
  • Generic contract used for payments for individual services, company services, or rentals.
  • Any payments that involve terms and conditions are considered a contract.
  • This document acts as both contract and rider, which were formerly separate documents.

• Northwestern University Contract Cover Sheet (PDF)
  • This should be filled out and submitted with a contract in order for it to be signed and processed.

Payments to Individuals (as opposed to reimbursements) are considered earnings and may generate income tax obligations for the person receiving the funds.  You will also need:

• Blank W-9 Tax Form (PDF) - (For individuals NOT employed by the University)
  • This form is needed for tax purposes, for individuals who are NOT employed by Northwestern University.
  • Must be signed pen-to-paper (no typed or stylus signatures).
  • Must be dated within the current calendar year.

• University Employee Special Pay Request Forms (PDF) - (For individuals employed as temporary workers at the University within pay group BIT)
  • This form is used for payments made to individuals, such as students, who are currently employed with Northwestern University.  These payments are considered earnings and thus subject to governmental income tax.
  • The amount recorded on this form will be subject to withholding and generate an additional fringe benefits charge to the student organization.  
  • The form uses a person's employee ID number instead of social security number.   A W-9 is not needed when paying an established University employee.  As a result, social security numbers could be left off of contracts for these individuals.
• University Employee Additional Pay Form (PDF) - (For individuals employed with an appointment at the University or employed as temporary workers with pay group MGW)
  • This form is used for payments made to individuals, such as staff or faculty, who are currently employed with Northwestern University.  These payments are considered earnings and thus subject to governmental income tax.
  • The amount recorded on this form will be subject to withholding and generate an additional fringe benefits charge to the student organization.
  • The form uses a person's employee ID number instead of social security number.  A W-9 is not needed when paying an established University employee.  As a result, social security numbers could be left off of contracts for these individuals.
• Payments to non-residents of the U.S.A. require special handling, additional forms and approvals, and collaboration with multiple departments at the University.  Additional time will always be needed so emergency/last-minute payments are not possible.  Please consult with SOFO before entering into contracts with non-residents or foreign companies to determine what is needed.  Vetting is often necessary prior to contracting a non-resident individual or foreign company.  This is important because entering into a payment agreement that may go against U.S. law will cause problems for the University and may result in fines.  Also important to note is that not all non-resident payments are the same:
  • Payments to non-residents performing their services outside of the U.S.A. require: 
    • W-8
    • Conflict of Interest attested by the group advisor on behalf of self and all group members
    • Independent Contractor Questionnaire (all 3 pages of the ICQ must be completed, reviewed and approved by HR Compensation) also signed by advisor on behalf of contracting party
    • Statement of Services form. 
    • If the payments to an individual are to be issued in parts, these documents will be required for each payment.  SOFO will need to request a new supplier ID to process each payment to the individual through Accounts Payable.
  • Payments to non-residents performing their services on U.S. soil require:
    • Non-Resident Payment Packet (with some of the forms listed above)
    • SOFO will process these forms with the Human Resources Foreign Tax group to gain approval for the contracting process.
    • Payments will be initiated by Human Resources and may reflect withholding for taxes as dictated by treaties with the U.S.A.
• If you have questions please contact SOFO at sofo@northwestern.edu

Student organizations wishing to rent vehicles for student group activities should go through the following steps:

1. Go to the Procurement and Payment Services's website and familiarize yourself with their policies and procedures. The website can be found  here: https://www.northwestern.edu/procurement/travel/vehicle-rental/index.html. 
2. Ensure anyone who will be driving is listed on the Motor Pool Form (PDF).
3. All drivers must take the defensive driving course and be awarded certification. The list of certified drivers can be found here.
4. The form should be reviewed and signed by both officers and the group's advisor.
   • If traveling outside the Chicago area (more than 150 miles), Brent Turner, the Executive Director of Campus Life, will also need to sign.
5. Forms do not need to be turned in to SOFO.  These should be stored by the group should the need to prove compliance arise.

Please note: Groups will be charged a deductible of at least $500 per instance in the case of an accident (and only if there is an accident). Student organizations must have enough funds to cover the cost of vehicle rental plus the potential deductible.

The ledger is used to record all the group's transactions. It is necessary for the account reconciliation process at the end of every quarter and should be passed down from treasurer to treasurer.

We have several Ledger Templates available:

Excel Ledger Template - contains an automatic calculation formula compatible with Excel (.xlsx)

Google Sheets Ledger Template - contains an automatic calculation formula compatible with Google Sheets

PDF Ledger Template - for printing only, if you want a hand-written paper ledger (not recommended)