Apply for Aid - Step 1 for first-year students

"Apply for Aid" steps are detailed In a sequence of pages beginning with this one.

To view the full sequence of steps, return to the Financial Aid Home Page and Select the link appropriate to you under the heading "Apply for Aid." The checklist you will see corresponds to this sequence of pages.

While earning a law degree may be expensive for some students, it is important to remember:

  1. A law degree opens doors to many opportunities.
  2. Compensation for those with a law degree can be significant relative to other options.

Most law students use student loans to finance law school expenses which include tuition, fees, and living expenses. There are numerous ways to minimize and/or manage debt:

  1. Spend as little as possible for living expenses.
  2. Use personal savings to pay some of your expenses.
  3. Apply for scholarships that may be used to toward expenses.
  4. Qualify for employer-based or veteran's benefit programs.
  5. Use repayment programs (such as Pay as You Earn) through which your monthly payment is based on income, with options for loan-forgiveness in a few as 10 year.
  6. Explore tuition benefit program offered by employers or to veterans.
  7. Explore various loan forgiveness options such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Immediate Goals 

  1. Practice now living like a student.
  2. Keep careful track of all your expenses for several months, then eliminate anything that isn't absolutely necessary, beginning now and extending through your graduation day.
  3. If you have a credit card balance, pay that balance down to $0.00 prior to starting law school
  4. If you have credit issues, resolve those now if at all possible.

Tools to Help You Meet Your Goals* 

  1. Search the internet for "Personal Budgeting for College Students"
  2. Download, and use, an app for your tablet, smart phone, or a program for your personal computer
  3. Search the internet for ways to reduce or eliminate credit card debt
  4. Review your credit report annually at www.annualcreditreport.com 
  5. Consider having a roommate or two. Sharing a two- or three-bedroom apartment is less expensive than having your own apartment. You will be spending most of your time at school ; why pay for space you hardly use?