Quality law education does not come cheap. This is why many students avail of scholarships, grants, and other forms of financial aid to help them finance their studies. Below are some of the financial aid options available for law students:
Student loans
Law students can apply for student loans from the federal government, as well as from companies, organizations, and private institutions. A lot of banks and other financial institutions also offer student loan plans, programs, and packages, that have low interest rates.
Merit-based financial aid
As the name implies, merit-based aid is granted to individuals who have good grades and are thus deserving of financial assistance to pursue their studies. Schools such as Duke University give grants to their applicants who meet the requirements for financial aid. Students can also apply for scholarships from foundations, organizations, and private individuals, who are dedicated to making education available to people from all walks of life.
Need-based financial aid
This type of financial assistance is granted to students who can prove that they can’t pay for their law education solely through their own means. In need-based financial aid programs, the amounts given to students are computed according to their documented and proven monetary needs. To compute this, institutions and schools take into account the student’s family income, nationality, etc.
Post-graduation service
Some companies and schools also grant financial aid to students in exchange for certain lengths of service after graduation. Harvard Law School, for one, has announced that it will pay for students’ tuition on their third year under the condition that these students will do post-graduation public service for five years. Similarly, students who applied for federal loans may also get loan forgiveness in exchange for service to government entities, charity organizations, army and military, etc. The length of service required varies depending on the school or institution, so make sure you read the loan terms and agreements before you sign up and apply.
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Law school applicants are not only preoccupied with writing an impressive sample law school personal statement. The financial cost of law school studies could also be one of the concerns of law school applicants. There are people who understand such a situation. That is why there are institutions that provide law school scholarships to people who they think are qualified.
If you want to get a law school scholarship, read the following list of organizations and institutions that offer such grants. The information below might help you find the law school scholarship program that you are looking for.
American Bar Association
The ABA gives legal opportunity scholarships to outstanding ABA-accredited law school students. The successful students would receive $5,000 per year. The association could also opt to renew the scholarship provided that the beneficiaries have maintained a satisfactory academic performance.
American Counsel Association
Third year law students with good academic performance could apply for the ACA scholarship. The nominations for these scholarships must be submitted by your law school dean.
Alabama Law Foundation
This organization offers the Cabaniss, Johnston Scholarship to Alabama law school students who are studying at ABA-accredited universities. Second year law students who can show civic involvement and financial need should consider applying for this scholarship.
Columbian Lawyers Association of Westchester County, Inc
The association awards the Carl A. Vergari Scholarship to students who rank in the upper half of their class. The students seeking this scholarship must also be willing to reside in Westchester County.
Erie County Bar Association
Law school students residing in Erie County could very well apply for the Erie County Bar Association Scholarship. Students who can demonstrate their financial need could fill out the online application form provided by the association.
Krugliak Wilkings Griffiths & Dougherty Co., L.P.A.,
This company awards the Samuel Krugliak Legal Scholarship to currently enrolled law students who are studying in ABA-accredited law schools. The applicants must have resided or are currently residing in Wayne, Carroll, Holmes, Tuscarawas, Mahoning, Summit, Columbiana, or Stark counties. The organization is also looking for applicants who intend to practice law in the region of Stark County.
Minority Corporate Counsel Association
The Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship is being offered by the Minority corporate Counsel Association. The scholarship is created for US law school freshmen students who are from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Orange County Hispanic Bar Association
This association awards the Wally Davis Scholarship to qualified Hispanic law school students from Orange County, California. Applicants who belong to the upper half of their class are qualified for this scholarship.
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