Financing Your Legal Education:

Students pursuing a degree in law quickly discover that most aid at the professional school level (physicians, lawyers, etc.) comes in the form of loans. You will have to search for scholarships. As part of your search, be sure to directly contact the law schools your applying to regarding available grants and scholarships that each particular school is offering. As competition for law students increased in the past several years, many law schools have recently begun programs designed to increase the quality of their incoming students by offering financial incentives. Do not be bashful about inquiring about aid once you have applied.

There are a range of ways to finance your legal education, but most students will find Federal Stafford Loans an efficient and reliable way to obtain funding. The sites identified below should be helpful in efficiently locating financing options. If you are just starting your search, I would encourage you to start with the Law Access, Inc., a part of the Access Group. Law Access is part of a non-profit organizational service dedicated solely to educational lending. Their site provides updated summaries of interest charges, government subsidies, and payback options available.

Access Group

This non-profit organization coordinates the majority of loans used to pay for a legal education. They offer competitive rates, low or no guarantee fees on government Stafford Loans, Bar Exam loans, consolidation loans, and private loans. Be sure to request a free copy of Access Advisor ™, their debt management software that not only compares loans but also calculates payments after graduation.

Financial Aid Information Page

Includes comprehensive and updated sources of various forms of financial aid, “special interest” aid and scholarships. Students may also find the education cost projectors and student loan calculators useful features.

Fastweb

Free internet search service advertising the ability to match 400,000 available scholarships to students meeting a wide range of criteria. Complete a series of questions and Fastweb will keep you updated via a mailbox set up in your name.

U.S. Department of Education

With nearly 70% of student aid supplied by the federal government, this is a valuable site to search for low interest loans, work-study and grant programs. A new section of the site summarizes college tax credits. You can also complete the “Free Application for Federal Student Aid” (FAFSA) online.

eStudent Loan

When law school grants and government loans are not going to cover your costs, this site has a “Loan Finder” that will compare loan programs from a range of private lenders.

College Board Online

Comprehensive list of financing sources, including access to a database that has several thousand programs and one million scholarship awards.

Petersons Education Center

Comprehensive list of financing sources, including access to a database that has several thousand programs and over 800,000 scholarship awards.

Kaploan

Private lender service. They have a financial aid timeline may be helpful to some students.