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The UDC Law Office of Financial Aid is open weekdays from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions or concerns about financial aid.
Unlocking Opportunities
Your Guide to Financial Aid at UDC Law
Law school is a costly endeavor. For most students, it requires a “downsizing” of their lifestyles to simpler levels. Preparing for law school should include undertaking a number of steps such as paying off credit cards and other consumer debt, putting away some savings, and paring down living expenses. If you have existing educational loans, ask your loan servicer(s) about deferment options and obtain loan deferment forms before you enroll in school.
Financial assistance at UDC Law is available from a variety of sources, including Federal Direct Loans (Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS), need-based and merit scholarships, and work-study. These sources of financial aid are discussed in detail in Chapter III of our annual Financing Your Legal Education Handbook.
We encourage students to do further research and to take advantage of financial aid search and information services available free of charge on the internet at FastWeb, Scholarship Search by Sallie Mae, and AccessLex Law School Scholarship Databank. The Office of Financial Aid has also compiled a list of Outside Scholarship Resources.
Navigating the Cost of Attendance and Student Need
When you apply for financial assistance, the Office of Financial Aid makes a determination of what you and your family can afford to contribute toward the cost of your education. The difference between the expenses associated with your legal education (Cost of Attendance) and your ability to contribute to those expenses is your “need.” Your need represents the maximum amount of assistance for which you will be eligible.
Expenses deemed acceptable in building a Cost of Attendance budget are those directly related to the cost of attending the School of Law. The Office of Financial Aid is concerned only with financing your attendance; therefore, you will be held to a “modest-moderate” living standard based on the local living expense costs for the DC metropolitan area.
Your Pathway to Success
Explore all our available Financial Aid options
Scholarships
UDC Law offers generous merit- and need-based scholarship programs.Loans
Direct Unsubsidized (Stafford) Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Private Loans.Work-Study
Provides part-time employment for students based on financial need.Teaching and Research Assistants
Assistantships provide part-time employment for upper level students selected by faculty.Veteran Education Benefits
Assisting veterans and their families to evaluate and utilize the educational benefits and programs available to them.Simplify, Apply, Succeed
Students must apply annually for financial assistance. Instructions for individuals applying for admission or just admitted to the School of Law (entering students) appear below. Continuing students will receive financial aid instructions and deadlines via their UDC e-mail accounts.
- Applying for Need-Based Institutional Scholarships
- Applying for Merit Scholarships
- Applying for a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan
- Applying for Work-Study
1. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Complete the FAFSA on-line at https://studentaid.gov/. Be sure to use UDC Law’s FAFSA code — B08083. As long as our code is listed on your application it will be transmitted to the School of Law electronically.
2. UDC Law Financial Aid Forms
- All students must complete the UDC Law Financial Aid Application annually.
- All students must complete the UDC Law Title IV Authorization Release for Non-Institutional Charges Form.
These forms can be found on the Financial Aid Forms page.
Submit the forms to the Office of Financial Aid by mail, e-mail, fax or in person.
Deadline for priority consideration: March 15th for new admits. (Late admits: within 2 weeks of acceptance or seat deposit.)
The Office of Financial Aid will notify you via e-mail once your financial aid package has been computed.
Your Questions, Answered
Frequently Asked Financial Aid Questions
The priority consideration deadline is March 15th for incoming students and April 1st for continuing students. Students admitted after March 15th should complete their financial aid applications within two weeks of their offer of admission.
The School of Law will not be able to access your FAFSA. Please log back into your FAFSA at https://www.studentaid.gov and add our school code (B08083). Once our code is added, we will be able to download your FAFSA within several business days.
The 2022-2023 FAFSA covers Fall 2022, Spring 2023, and Summer 2023 semesters. The 2023-2024 FAFSA covers Fall 2023, Spring 2024, and Summer 2024 semesters.
You may apply for financial aid while your admission application is under review. However, your financial aid application will not be reviewed until you are admitted.
You must complete:
- The UDC Law Financial Aid Application annually.
- The UDC Law Title IV Authorization Release for Non-Institutional Charges Form.
These forms may be downloaded from the Financial Aid Forms page. Once your file is reviewed, you will be notified by email if it is determined that additional documents are needed.
The School of Law participates in the Direct Loan Program through the U.S. Department of Education. All Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS Loans will be processed through this lender.
As of July 1, 2012, graduate and professional students are eligible for Direct Unsubsidized Loans only. The maximum Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan per academic year is $20,500.
The Graduate PLUS Loan is credit-based and the maximum varies from student to student. Through this loan program students may borrow the difference between the school’s Cost of Attendance and the amount of Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans and other financial aid awarded.
For loans disbursed between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans have a fixed interest rate of 7.05% and Graduate PLUS Loans have a fixed interest rate of 8.05%. (Rates for the next period are released in spring.)
Please visit Cost of Attendance to view the full cost of attendance chart. Please note that this information is based on a 9-month attendance period (fall & spring semester). The summer cost of attendance is prorated based on a 3-month attendance period with tuition charged per credit-hour.
The School of Law awards several types of scholarships, including academic merit scholarships, non-academic merit scholarships, and need-based scholarships. Each scholarship recipient will receive an award letter that describes the nature and requirements, if any, of each scholarship awarded. In most cases, academic merit scholarships are renewable as long as the student maintains a required GPA, whereas need-based scholarships are not renewable and must be applied for annually.
Institutional scholarships are not offered during the summer semester. Students who enroll at least half time (3 credits) during the summer semester may borrow loans to cover their tuition and living expenses. In addition, all eligible first year students, and as many upper level students as funding allows, may participate in the School of Law’s Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program, which provides a stipend to allow students to engage in public interest legal work during the summer.
Generally, disbursements occur approximately 10 days prior to the start of the semester. This time frame is applicable to students who are registered at the time of scheduled disbursements and have completed all financial aid requirements. Once the disbursement occurs, aid will first be applied to tuition/fees. Any remaining excess funds will be issued to the student in the form of a refund check. Refunds can be received either through direct deposit or a paper check which is mailed. Refunds processed through direct deposit typically takes 3-5 business days to be deposited; mailed checks may take 2 to 3 weeks to arrive. Refund checks should be used for educational related expenses such as books, supplies, housing, transportation, etc.
Connect with Us
Meet The Financial Aid Champions!
Dalmarie Lawrence | (she/her/hers)
Director of Financial Aid
Phone: (202) 274-7337
Email: lawfinaid@udc.edu
Kimberly Salters | (she/her/hers)
Assistant Director of Financial Aid
Phone: (202) 274-7336
Email: lawfinaid@udc.edu
