Financing Law School
The cost of a legal education can easily exceed $150,000. Financial aid opportunities are limited. Before taking out loans to pay for law school, consider your likely career path and earning potential.
Law School Transparency is an excellent source of employment and salary information.
Browse Law School Transparency
To keep debt to a minimum, consider state-supported law schools, or schools that offer merit-based aid. Merit-based aid (grants and scholarships) if available, is typically offered to applicants in the top 75 percentile of a school’s applicant pool.
If you are offered merit-based aid with a requirement that you maintain a particular GPA, it is important to find out where that school sets its curve—e.g. the median grade. For instance, achieving a 3.0 at a school with a 2.9 median would be easier than at a school with a 2.5 median. You may also want to find out how many others in your class received the same offer.
Students interested in pursing opportunities in public service may wish to investigate these resources:
- PSJD (Public Service JD)
- Loan Repayment Assistance Programs
- Equal Justice Works
Scholarship and Internship Resources for Underrepresented Students: