Funding Opportunities for Pre-Law Students

Financial Law School:

Law school tuition and living costs can be very expensive, and you need a clear plan for how you will finance your endeavor.  You may wish to consult a financial planning expert as part of your strategy for financing your education. LSAC has the best links and guidelines for those seeking to finance their law school education.

CDC Library Resources:

The CDC library contains a comprehensive resource section on fellowships and scholarships, including directories of major fellowships subdivided by career fields.  CDC counselors can assist you with identifying and preparing applications for fellowships.

The publication "How to Pay for Your Law Degree 2006-2008" (Gail Ann Schlachter & R. David Weber) is also available in the CDC library.  This publication contains lists of  fellowships, grants, loans and loan repayment programs, bar exam stipends and loans, competition, internships, and other funding programs set aside to support study, training research, and creative activities and work experiene for students working on a degree in law.  The directory is designed so you can quickly identify available funding not only by subject, but also by program title,sponsor, residency requirements, where the money can be spent, type of funding, and deadline date.

Various Funding Opportunities:

Other avenues for pursuing funding opportunities are through the American Bar Foundation and American Bar Association.

Undergraduate Opportunities for Pre-Law Students: 

The American Bar Association sponsors Summer Research Diversity Fellowships in Law and Social Science for Undergraduate Students.  This program is of interest to undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds for pursuing graduate study in the social sciences. This summer program is designed to introduce students to the rewards and demands of a research-oriented career in the field of law and social science.

Dartmouth College Pre-Law Guide - (refer to page 7 for list of pre-law resources including financial aid and scholarship resources).

Arizona State University Pre-Law Advisement -(diverse populations; financial aid; guides/locators; law organizations; LSAT preparation courses; and suggested reading list for pre-law students).

Merit Funding for Law School:

The American Bar Association offers merit-based funding through the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship Fund awards $5,000 of financial assistance annually to each scholarship recipient attending an ABA-accredited law school.  Assuming the recipient achieves satisfactory performance in law school, an award made to an entering freshman may be renewed for two additional years, resulting in financial assistance totaling $15,000 during his/her time in law school.

Top law schools forums - (best merit-based financial aid)

You may also access other awards on our website under the "Awards for the Study of Law".