How To Find Law School Grants| Assistance Funding Law School

Like all forms of higher education, law school is an expensive proposition. With tuition topping $65,000 per year at a number of schools, many law school graduates find themselves over six figures in debt, which can have a severe impact on all facets of life. 

However, taking out loans isn’t the only way to pay for law school. There are a number of ways to reduce the overall financial burden of law school without having to worry about interest rates. If you’re considering going to law school—or have already started applying—read on to find out some of the ways that you can bring down the cost of attending law school.

Perhaps the most straightforward way to reduce the tuition of law school is to receive an academic scholarship from your school. Because schools are always trying to attract the best students (and boost their U.S. News ranking), most schools will offer scholarships to their most promising applicants. 

One of the best ways for students to maximize their chances of receiving an academic scholarship is to perform well on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Law schools heavily weigh entrance exam scores when considering both admissions and academic scholarships. Don’t skimp when you’re studying for the LSAT—sign up for an LSAT prep course, and spend at least six weeks preparing for the exam.

It’s also worth noting that an increasing number of law schools now accept the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), in lieu of the LSAT. The same principle applies whether you’ll be submitting an LSAT score or a GRE score: prepare as best you can. 

Besides entrance exam scores, GPA is the other major factor that schools consider when granting scholarships. If you’re still an undergraduate, the best thing you can do to help your chances with law school financial aid is to focus on getting the best grades possible. 

The best thing about academic scholarships? Generally, you don’t have to do anything extra to apply for them. Most schools automatically consider all applicants for academic scholarships (be sure to check that this holds true for the schools to which you are applying). When looking at school to apply to, check the GPA and LSAT scores for their recent entering classes. If you’re hoping to get an academic scholarship, you should apply to schools where your LSAT score and grade point average (GPA) put you in the top 25 percent of the class.

Also keep in mind that some of these scholarships come with strings attached. Most commonly, you’ll need to maintain a certain GPA in order to keep your scholarship during your entire time in law school. However, unlike loans, these scholarships do not need to be repaid, making them one of the best options for reducing law school costs.

Many law school applicants are already familiar with the financial-aid process, having gone through it for their undergraduate degree. While the process for need-based aid in law school is similar, there are some unique considerations. First, while you would likely have been required to submit information on your parents’ income to receive aid as an undergraduate, many law schools have different requirements. If you’re over a certain age (generally 25–26), many schools will waive the requirement to include parental income in an aid application.

Typically, need-based aid comes in the form of loans rather than grants. However, many schools have generous loan-repayment programs. These programs allow students working in public interest law—or earning under a certain salary—to have a percentage of their loans paid back by the school. Most schools offer some form of loan repayment assistance program (LRAP.) The American Bar Association (ABA) maintains a detailed list of schools’ loan assistance programs, but be sure to check with each school you’re considering individually to ensure that you have the most accurate and recent information.

There are countless charitable, civic, and religious organizations that offer grants for law school. Here, you’ll have to do a little leg work. Research local groups that might offer scholarships or grants–start with any organizations that you might already be affiliated with. Talk to members of your community about potential opportunities. The Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) offers a list of some national scholarship opportunities. Yale Law School curated a similar list. You should also consider creating a profile on sites like Fastweb that allow you to search databases of scholarship and grant opportunities. Many of these opportunities are highly competitive and require an application process, so be sure to check deadlines and give yourself plenty of time to put together a quality application.

This should provide you with at least a starting point in finding grants for law school. When you do finally make it to campus, be sure to check out Quimbee’s law school study aids. Quimbee has been helping law students for over a decade with extremely popular case briefs, law course outlines, videos, and so much more. With all the money you’ll be saving from your grants and scholarships, making the small investment in a Quimbee subscription is a no-brainer.