Guide to Law School Merit Aid & Outside Scholarships
Student loans are a great way to fund law school or at least cover the expenses that other types of law school financial aid won't pay for. However, the ultimate goal is to graduate from law school with the smallest amount of debt possible. Less debt means more financial security and more flexibility in terms of the jobs a law school graduate can consider. Minimizing debt usually means getting merit-based aid directly from the school you attend. Most law school merit aid and outside scholarships come from the school itself and are awarded based on LSAT scores and undergrad GPA.
This type of law school merit aid and outside scholarships benefits both the law school and the student. Law schools care about their reputation and rankings, so they want to attract students with high GPAs and LSAT scores. Merit-based aid attracts applicants who raise the bar for each new class. To get these law school scholarships, applicants need scores that are higher than the law school's average numbers.
Where does this leave promising students whose scores don't represent their potential, especially those who come from poverty or other challenging backgrounds? Maybe a brilliant undergrad worked full-time to support their family, dealt with domestic violence or abuse, or attended an underperforming high school that left them struggling to catch up in college. There are many valid reasons someone might score poorly on the LSAT or fail to make the Dean's list during undergrad but still be an excellent lawyer in the future.
Those with lower LSAT scores or less than stellar undergrad academic records often think they have to rely on loans to fund law school. This is not completely true. There are other ways to pay for law school besides student loans and LSAT and GPA-based merit aid.
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs
Law students who want to work in the public interest sector can take advantage of Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAPs). These programs offer loans that can be forgiven if the law school graduate works in certain fields for a set time period. LRAPs usually require new lawyers to work in government or public interest jobs for ten years. This makes them a great law school financial aid option for students who know they want to work in one of these fields.
However, not everyone wants to commit to public interest work for up to ten years. Many students enter law school without knowing exactly which field they want to pursue. This can make LRAPs a risky form of law school financial aid for these students since they'll need to pay off the loans on their own if they choose to work in a different sector.
Fortunately, law school merit aid and outside scholarships don't rely exclusively on grades and LSAT scores are available, both from law schools and outside organizations. Some law schools have scholarships or fellowship programs that prospective students can apply for separately from their application to the law school itself. Also, law students can take advantage of pipeline programs and private scholarships to help fund law school and minimize the debt they need to take on to graduate. Below, I provide more information about fellowships, pipeline programs, and outside private scholarships to give you some resources that could provide the funds you need for law school.
Fellowships for Law School Merit Aid
Law students who don't qualify for LRAPs or do not want to commit to working in a public interest position might find post-graduate fellowships to be a good fit. Post-graduate fellowships pay law school graduates an additional stipend if they work in a low-paying public interest job. These programs help new lawyers afford to take lower-paying positions without the long-term commitment of an LRAP. Fellowships are offered by some law schools as well as outside organizations.
In other cases, post-graduate fellowships offer the opportunity for law graduates to perform academic research. Some schools offer to visit assistant professorships (VAPs) too. Visiting assistant professors have some teaching commitments, but they typically spend most of their VAP experience conducting research in a specific area of law. These are competitive positions that are especially well-suited for those interested in becoming law school professors, but they can also help new lawyers transition into other full-time positions.
Some law schools also offer fellowships to current students who show interest in the public interest or other specific fields. While these law school scholarships require an interest in public service and some other qualifications, they do not ask for the same commitment that LRAPs do. This makes them a great opportunity for students who are curious about public interest work but don't want to commit to it long-term or those who ultimately want to work at a big firm but are willing to spend some time in the public sector first.
Pipeline Programs
Pipeline programs are designed to support prospective and current law students, as well as recent graduates, in their academic and professional development. These programs are especially important for minority and first-generation law students, who often lack the resources and family knowledge that more privileged students have. Pipeline programs offer coaching and mentoring assistance that helps students and graduates build confidence and leadership skills. They can help participants make stronger applications to both law schools and post-graduate programs, which can help them qualify for funding opportunities. Some pipeline programs also offer law school funding directly.
Whether a pipeline program offers funding or not, it can be a great way to access valuable support and resources. You can start your search with the American Bar Association (ABA). Law schools, law firms, bar associations, and other organizations offer a variety of programs to encourage diversity in the legal profession. The ABA maintains an online database, the National Pipeline Diversity Initiative Directory, which helps aspiring and current law students to search for the programs that fit them best and can minimize their student loan debt.
Outside Private Law School Merit Aid and Scholarships
Outside law school scholarships are another great way to fund a legal education without specific LSAT or GPA cutoffs. Instead, they are based on specific criteria that go beyond the numbers. Your law school might offer criteria-based scholarships as well. Some law schools receive outside endowments that allow them to offer scholarships to students who fall into certain demographic categories or demonstrate an interest in a specific type of law. However, law schools are the only type of organization that offers this type of scholarship. Bar associations, law firms, and businesses also offer private law school scholarships.
The requirements for these law school merit aid and outside scholarships vary greatly. These are just some examples of the skills, experiences, and demographics that can qualify for this type of law school financial aid:
Race or ethnicity
Single parenthood
Essay response
Socioeconomic background
Sexual orientation
Excellence in legal writing
Learn More About Law School Merit Aid & Outside Scholarships
Most applicants are more anxious about whether they'll be able to pay for law school than whether they'll be able to get into their first choice school. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources that will help you reach your goals, even with a low GPA or LSAT score. Visit my website to contact me and discuss how I can help you find the resources you need to pay for law school.