While it’s common for law students to go into six-figure debt while in law school, it’s possible to earn a JD without paying a dime in tuition.
That’s what happens when you win a full scholarship.
She hoped, she says, that if she applied to schools where her degrees were higher than the norm, the schools would try to recruit her by offering scholarship dollars.
Roter says she was “lucky” when she won a full scholarship. “It was great not having to worry about loans,” she says.
Given the current economic turmoil, aspiring lawyers are especially happy to save money by studying law for free. Here are six tips that experts say prospective law students should keep in mind if they want to fully fund their legal education with scholarship money.
Don’t skimp on test preparation
Full law scholarships are typically reserved for applicants with strong LSAT scores, experts say.
“I always recommend that students think of LSAT prep as a part-time job because the reward for doing it can literally mean hundreds of dollars for every hour they spend preparing,” said Aaron N. Taylor, executive director of the nonprofit AccessLex Center for Legal Education Excellence.
Polish Application Materials
The key to winning a full-time law school scholarship is to stun admissions officers with your application, because very few outside scholarships cover the full cost of tuition, Taylor says.
“I estimate that perhaps 95% of the scholarships and grants law students receive come from law schools themselves,” adds Taylor, who previously served as a law school admissions officer. He says law schools often compare students’ personal statements with similar academic credentials to determine which ones deserve the most scholarships.
Research Full Scholarship Terms
Some law school scholarships include a GPA requirement, experts say, and students should assess whether the minimum GPA they must maintain to maintain these scholarships is reasonable.
Consider Early Decision Scholarship Programs
Some generous scholarships are awarded exclusively to early decision applicants, who sign pledges stating that they will pursue a particular law degree if accepted.
“It’s not a program for everyone because often students want to look at different options, and this program prevents them from doing that,” said Alissa Leonard, the school’s assistant dean of admissions and financial aid.
In general, experts say that scholarships that are hopeful should apply to law school as early as possible in the admissions cycle, as scholarship decisions are typically made on a rolling basis.
Don’t exclude yourself
Even if you think you probably won’t win a full scholarship, apply anyway, experts say — you could be pleasantly surprised.
“We want students to be ambitious, so applying has no downsides,” said Katherine Scannell, vice dean of institutional success at Washington University at St. Louis School of Law, where she oversees admissions among other duties. “There’s only a downside to not applying.”
Apply for a fee waiver if you qualify
For some JD hopefuls, paying application fees at multiple law schools can be a tall order, especially given the added costs for testing and academic records. Although Washington University St. Louis abolished the JD application fee a few years ago, most law schools charge such fees, Scannell says.
“Application fees can add up, so ask for a fee waiver if application fees are a barrier to applying to schools,” she says.
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