Financial Aid for Law School
Application Year Timeline
This broad outline will keep you on track in attaining the
funds you need to pay for law school.
This timeline begins in the summer
a year prior to law school matriculation.
June – August
- Obtain
your credit report from www.annualcreditreport.com.
- Address
any errors or omissions in your report with the credit bureau(s).
- Compile
a list of all your current debts and estimate your monthly payments.
- Begin
your search for grants and scholarships.
September – December
- Obtain
current financial aid budgets for each school to which you will apply.
- Research
grant and scholarship opportunities.
- Check
law school deadlines for submission of financial aid information.
- Determine
whether additional scholarship applications or letters of recommendation
will be necessary for any of your chosen law schools.
January
- Prepare
your federal income taxes as soon as you have complete documentation
(W-2s, 1099s, etc.).
- Complete
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
- Complete
your law school financial aid applications.
February – April
- Comply
quickly with any requests from law schools for additional financial aid
information, such as 1040s, W-2s, or institutional information sheets.
- Receive
financial aid offers. If you have
special concerns or situations, discuss these with the law school
financial aid office.
- Examine
the net costs and benefits of attending schools where you have been
admitted.
- Discuss
actual housing costs with law students at individual schools.
- Pay
your first law school deposit.
March – July
- Once
you have selected your law school, submit your loan application(s) and
finalize your housing arrangements.
- Pay
your second law school deposit.
From this Point Forward …
- Make a
budget and stick to it!