Financing a Legal Education

Source: https://career.berkeley.edu/get-into-grad-school/law-school/financing-a-legal-education/ Parent: https://career.berkeley.edu/

Tuition varies across institutions, and the price of books, food, housing, and supplies are variable. Before you begin applying, it’s critical to be well-informed about your options and to get your finances in order.

Most law students finance their education through scholarships, loans, Federal College Work Study, or a combination of those funding sources. Below you can find basic definitions of these funding types along with online resources to help you locate funding sources.

Types of Financial Aid

• Loans – Available from the government and other private sources and must be repaid.
• Scholarships/grants – Usually awarded on the basis of merit and usually provided by law schools. They do not need to be repaid. Contact the Financial Aid office at each law school you are interested in for detailed information.
• Federal College Work Study – May be available based on a student’s financial need. Usually reserved for second and third year students (most ABA approved law schools do not permit first year students to work, so that they can concentrate on studying). Contact the Financial Aid office at each law school you are interested in for detailed information.

Online Resources

• Law School Admission Council (LSAC) – Paying For Law School
• AccessLex – How to Finance Your Legal Education
• Meet with an Accredited Financial Counselor for FREE through AccessLex
• AccessLex – Law School Scholarship Databank
• Scholarship Connection – Cal’s central clearinghouse for information on merit-based scholarships.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness – Federal program designed to forgive student loan debt for employees of certain public and nonprofit jobs.