Financial Aid Checklist

Unlike your undergraduate education, there are no government grants available to law school students. There are, however, government loans and private bank loans. In addition, the law schools have merit and need based scholarship (some have both; some have only one or the other).

Follow the steps below to apply for and ensure timely receipt of financial aid.

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the March 1 deadline. The application is online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
  
  
• File your federal income tax return early to report actual income figures on your FAFSA. Use estimated figures if your return is not filed by the application deadline. Traditionally aged students will need to include their parents' tax return.
  
  
• Submit Student Aid Report (SAR) corrections to the FAFSA processor promptly.
  
  
• Complete and sign the Master Promissory Note if necessary. The MPN is produced and mailed to you by the Department of Education once the aid offer is accepted.
  
  
• Contact the law school to determine the school's financial aid application requirements (i.e., ACCESS Group; entrance counseling).
  
  
• Obtain a copy of your credit report and review for potential problems if you are considering private loan assistance. Information may be obtained from any of the following credit bureaus:
  

  Experian (http://www.experian.com)
  Equifax (http://www.equifax.com)
  TransUnion (http://www.transunion.com)
  

• Contact the Financial Aid Office at the law school you plan to attend if you have questions.

Organize and keep a record of all documents and correspondence related to your financial aid. Pay particular attention to notices from your lender(s).