Law School Grants

November 27, 2011 · Posted In: Grants by Subject
Law School Grants can help you manage how to pay for law school

Wondering How To Pay For Law School?

Law school grants help with one of the priciest forms of higher education a student could pursue. If you are wondering how to pay for law school, it is worth investigating as many possibilities of funding as you can. The fortunate thing is that there are many sources out there to help the student fund a law school education, including law school grants.

Main Sources of Law School Grants

Primary sources for law school grants are the following:

  1. The law schools themselves
  2. Professional law associations and private organizations.

In general, grant recipients must demonstrate financial need before they can use this avenue to know how to pay for law school.

1. Grant-Issuing Law Schools

Here are a few examples of law school grants that are issued annually:

  • Columbia University Law School has grant funds for each entering class. A student must apply for these grants at the time of application. Under unusual adverse financial circumstances, students already well into their program may meet with a Financial Aid Officer to discuss their difficulties with how to pay for law school and to investigate possibilities for student financial aid.
  • Harvard Law School provides assistance with grants and loans based on financial need.
  • Northwestern Law School has a grants and scholarships program based on merit as well as financial need. Generally applications must be submitted by the program deadline and demonstrate the need for help for how to pay for law school.
  • Yale Law School awards grants (to both US as well as international students) on the basis of financial need, which shall not exceed the amount of tuition.
Since these grants are based primarily on financial need, students will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms in order to prove financial need to their university.  The time to complete the FAFSA forms is in the month of January of the same year the student will be starting law school.

2. Grant-Issuing Law Associations

Here are some examples of law school grants issued by professional law associations and private organizations:

  • The American Bar Association (ABA) has a program called the Legal Opportunity Scholarship which is based on financial need for US citizens and legal resident aliens entering law school.
  • The Peggy Browning Fund has several fellowship programs for law students.
  • The National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (NAPALSA) awards scholarships each fall to U.S. law students of Asian Pacific background who need support in knowing how to pay for law school.
  • The Pound Civil Justice Institute issues the Elaine Osborne Jacobsen Award for women working in the area of health care law.

Other Possibilities For Seeking Law School Grants Assistance

In addition to law school grants, it is also a good idea to investigate further possibilities for other college grants and loans for how to pay for law school. Most law schools have financial aid experts to help applicants understand their possibilities for financial aid. This could include awards, scholarships, grants, or loans.

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