Law School Grants

The decision to attend law school requires a high investment cost. With law school averaging over $50,000, it may be more expensive that your bachelors degree including housing costs. In order cover tuition and living expenses, potential law students require a solid financial plan. Utilizing all available financial resources is a must for the successful applicant to fulfill their dream of practicing law.

Let’s start with the basics of a grant. Grants are funds or credits toward expenses provided by public and private organizations. Traditional grants are based on financial need and in many cases diversity. Diversity generally refers to assisting women and minority students enrollment and successful graduation. Some organizations interchange fellowships with grants because there isn’t any expectations of the student outside of graduating from the school the organization is affiliated with. Traditionally fellowships and scholarships are applied for by the student and awarded based on need, academic performance, diversity, competition or a combination of the four. So again, grants are generally oriented towards financial need and minority assistance. The other two are oriented towards competition. All of them are free money with no pay back required.

In the pursuit of a juris doctorate, setting realistic goals is paramount. Begin with academic performance and your LSAT (Law School Acceptance Test) score. If your grades are below a 3.3 GPA or your LSAT is below 155, you’ll have a tough time getting accepted, let alone a grant. You must be accepted to qualify for a grant from a specific university. Your next goal will be based on your financial resources available. By using the law school financial search tool from Newsweek you can isolate how many schools are in your price range. With this knowledge in hand, you can then isolate which schools make sense for distance, living arrangements and how your grants can extend your studies or reduce your potential debt load.

Remember that out of state tuition applies to law school as well.

Next you can identify grant sources by starting with the state bar you plan to practice in. Many of the state bar organizations put aside large amounts of their fundraising efforts toward grants and scholarships. The Florida bar association offers both student grants and community service grants. Student grants are awarded to students accepted and enrolled in accredited law schools. Community service grants are grants awarded after successful service in city, county, state or federal civil service roles. These have gained popularity in the last decade or so in larger cities and states with high crime rates.

Your next grant resource is the university you wish to attend for law school. Many times the university itself performs fundraising to support specific graduate programs such as law or computer science in partnership with a commercial or government entity. This has been very successful with organizations such as Red Hat, a Linux software firm and North Carolina State University.

An additional grant resource is also the largest single grant provider in the US. The American Bar association provides millions of dollars each year to law students all over the country. Their grants range from specific studies in law, to those who plan to support government or Spanish speaking clients.

The application process for most law school grants starts in the winter/spring before the next school year. There is normally a small application fee of $0 – $10. The application will require copies of your transcripts, LSAT scores, letters of recommendation, FAFSA, social security number, birth date and other personal information. Once you submit your application, you may or may not receive a confirmation notice of receipt. Normally 2-3 months before the fall term begins you will receive an award or denial letter as well. With the advent of cost-cutting measures by organizations on a global scale, many of these notices and receipts may be delivered by email instead.

Grants are available from many locations. Getting them may be easier than you think.