Career Center
Monday - Thursday: 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.; Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Law school education costs vary, but total costs, including tuition, books, food, housing, and transportation, can easily exceed $150,000. Not surprisingly, over 80% of law school students rely at least in part on education loans. Both government and private loans are available. Students who meet specified need criteria can borrow up to $8,500 per year in subsidized federal loans. The federal government pays the interest on a subsidized loan while you are enrolled in school. Students may borrow up to $18,500 per year in unsubsidized federal loans. (If you receive a subsidized loan, that amount is deducted from the amount you can borrow through unsubsidized loans.) To apply for federal loans, students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA form. Many students also borrow from private lenders. The interest rates and terms of private loans will be set based on your credit history. Some law schools and employers offer loan repayment assistance to graduates who work in non-profit, public interest fields.
Limited scholarships and grants, which do not have to be repaid, are also available. Most scholarships are awarded by individual law schools and may be merit based or both need and merit based. Other community and business organizations occasionally offer law scholarships.
Your pre-law advisor can answer questions about law school financial aid. However, the greatest resource for financial aid information is the financial aid office of the law schools to which you are applying.
