Financial Aid Application Year Timeline

This broad outline will keep you on track to attaining the funds you need to pay for law school. This timeline begins in the summer a year prior to law school matriculation.

June – August

• Obtain your credit report from www.annualcreditreport.com.
• Address any errors or omissions in your report with the credit bureau(s). 
• Compile a list of all your current debts and estimate your monthly payments. 
• Begin your search for grants and scholarships.
  

September – December

• Obtain current financial aid budgets for each school to which you will apply.
• Research grant and scholarship opportunities. 
• Check law school deadlines for submission of financial aid information. 
• Determine whether additional scholarship applications or letters of recommendation will be necessary for any of your chosen law schools.
  

January

• Prepare your federal income taxes as soon as you have complete documentation (W-2s, 1099s, etc.).
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available at www.fafsa.ed.gov. 
• Complete your law school financial aid applications.
  

February – April

• Comply quickly with any requests from law schools for additional financial aid information, such as 1040s, W-2s, or institutional information sheets.
• Receive financial aid offers. If you have special concerns or situations, discuss these with the law school financial aid office. 
• Examine the net costs and benefits of attending schools where you have been admitted. 
• Discuss actual housing costs with law students at individual schools. 
• Pay your first law school deposit.

March – July

• Once you have selected your law school, submit your loan application(s) and finalize your housing arrangements.
• Pay your second law school deposit.
  

From this Point Forward …

• Make a budget and stick to it!

*Reproduced, with permission, from planc.org.