Financial Aid FAQs
What kind of financial aid is available to me at the University of Chicago?
Once you are admitted, the University of Chicago Law School will offer you a financial aid package that will equal the cost of attendance. Packages will include student loans and may also include scholarship funds. Scholarships are monies that do not need to be repaid. Loans, both federal and private, must be repaid after graduation.
How do I apply for a Law School scholarship?
Consideration for scholarship funding is made based on the merits of your admission application file; there are no additional steps or applications to complete.
If you would like the Scholarship Committee to also consider financial need in addition to merit when determining your scholarship offer, you will need to complete the UChicago Law Need Application. Parental financial information is required on the UChicago Law Need Application for anyone who will be under the age of 28 as of the September 1 prior to the start your 1L year, even if your parent(s) will not be contributing financially to your law school education. Students will receive more information about the financial need application process shortly after being admitted.
Please note: If there is some circumstance that you feel should be considered by the Scholarship Committee, it is important to submit that information in a timely manner directly to the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@law.uchicago.edu.
How do I apply for student loans?
To be considered for Federal Direct student loans, you will need to complete a FAFSA for the applicable academic year. On the FAFSA, you will need to list the University of Chicago as a recipient school and enter the University's FAFSA school code: 001774. Students who complete the FAFSA to apply for Federal Direct student loan funding will be packaged with Direct Unsubsidized and Direct Graduate PLUS Loan funding. For more information about these loan programs, please review our Loans webpage.
If you prefer, you are welcome to apply for private student loans as well. Applications and terms for private student loans are available directly with the lender. You can find more information about private student loans on the Financial Aid website.
Students are not required to accept all loans offered, but students can only borrow up to the cost of attendance minus any other financial aid (i.e. federal loans, scholarships, outside resources, etc).
When should I apply for financial aid for the next academic year?
Institutional Scholarship Financial Need Consideration (optional, admitted students only): Priority deadline for admitted students is March 1st or one week after you are admitted, whichever is later.
Student Loans: May 31st priority deadline for admitted students who are not applying for institutional scholarship financial need consideration, as well as for continuing students.
How much is tuition at the Law School?
Current tuition rates can be found on the Bursar's website.
How do I qualify for federal student loans?
As long as you are a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen, have never defaulted on a federal student loan, and have completed a FAFSA, you will qualify for the Direct Unsubsidized Loan. Direct Graduate PLUS loan requirements are the same, with the additional of a simple credit check performed by the Department of Education. More information about federal student loan eligibility is available at studentaid.gov.
Are all of these aid programs open to me if I am an international student?
Unfortunately, international students cannot participate in the federal student loan programs. However, you are still eligible for scholarships and may still apply for private student loans. It is important to note that the Law School cannot assist you in securing a private student loan and you must apply directly with your chosen private lender. A U.S. cosigner may be required for you to secure funding with a U.S. lender. You can find more information about private student loans on our Private Student Loans webpage.
How will I receive my financial aid package notification?
If you are an admitted student, your aid package will be emailed to the email address provided on your admissions application. Once you have submitted a tuition deposit, or if you are a continuing student, the official financial aid package that includes verified loan offers will be emailed to your University of Chicago email account.
When will I receive my financial aid package notification?
We will begin to release financial aid packages to admitted students in mid-March. If you are admitted later in the cycle, you will receive your aid package approximately two to three weeks after your admission.
If you submit a seat deposit and have submitted a FAFSA, or you are a continuing student, we will release your official financial aid package that includes verified loan offers beginning in the early summer.
What if I have questions about my financial aid package?
We encourage you to review our Understanding Your Aid Package webpage. If you still have questions after reviewing this website, please email financialaid@law.uchicago.edu.
Do you match scholarships offered by peer institutions?
As a general rule, we do not match scholarship awards from other institutions. However, we are committed to assisting admitted students truly interested in the University of Chicago Law School. To that end, we would be happy to discuss your situation and work through your concerns. Please email financialaid@law.uchicago.edu if you would like to request a review of your award. We will then send you a link to an electronic form where you can provide additional information. Please understand that we have limited funds and cannot alter all awards. We will, however, do our best to make the University of Chicago Law School an option for you.
Does the University of Chicago Law School offer any loan repayment assistance to students entering a public interest career?
Yes, we have a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) which can assist graduates accepting public interest positions. We strive to offer graduates maximum flexibility and encourage anyone considering work in the public and not-for-profit sector to borrow only federal loans as LRAP assists with federal loans payments only. You can also take maximum advantage of our assistance when you combine it with the Federal Public Service Forgiveness Program (PSLF). If you would like to talk more about loan repayment assistance, please email the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@law.uchicago.edu.
Does the University of Chicago Law School participate in the VA's Yellow Ribbon Program?
Yes, the Law School is proud to be a participant in the VA's Yellow Ribbon program and to provide an unlimited contribution for each qualifying participant. If you think that you may qualify, please make sure you request a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the VA showing your end service date and complete the application on the University Registrar’s webpage. You can find more information about VA educational benefits on the VA website.
Once I have decided to attend the University of Chicago Law School, how do I accept my financial aid package?
Once you have paid your deposit and completed your commitment form, you have accepted your Law School Scholarship offer. There's nothing more you need to do in regards to your scholarship.
To apply for federal student loans or private student loans, review the Application Steps on our website for more information on next steps.
How will I receive my accepted financial aid once I start at the Law School?
Scholarship and loan funding is disbursed (or paid out) by the University to your student account, where your tuition and fees are billed each quarter. Students receive a student account refund (aka living expense refund) a few days prior to the start of each quarter if financial aid disbursements exceed tuition and fee charges for that quarter.
You can find more information about financial aid disbursements on our website, as well as on the Bursar's Office website.
I have been awarded an outside scholarship. What are my next steps?
Congratulations on your scholarship! The funding should be sent to the Bursar's Office and then you will need to report the funding to our office via your my.UChicago portal so that we can add the funding to your aid package and disburse it to your student account. You can find more information about reporting outside funding on our Outside Scholarships webpage.
Can I reduce or cancel my loans after I have accepted them?
Of course! If you find that do not need all of the loan funding you originally accepted, you can return the funding to your loan servicer via the Financial Aid Office. You can find more information on next steps on our Loan Funding Adjustments website.
I did not accept enough loan funding originally. Can I increase my loans during the academic year?
Yes, if you originally declined federal student loan funding that was offered on your aid package but find during the academic year that you need to request some/all of that declined funding, contact our office for assistance. You can find more information on next steps on our Loan Funding Adjustments website.
What if I need more money than was budgeted for me in the cost of attendance?
Students or applicants may submit an appeal to have the Financial Aid Office review their aid eligibility or financial aid package if they believe that their individual circumstances warrant further review. These appeals are considered by the Financial Aid Office on an individualized, case-by-case basis.
Students and applicants are encouraged to reach out to the Financial Aid Office to discuss their situation.
The University of Chicago Law School offers three-year institutional scholarship awards only. This means that we cannot offer scholarship funding later in your program. However, we will include notifications of outside scholarship opportunities in various newsletters that will be sent to you throughout your time at the Law School. We would encourage you to apply for as many outside scholarships as are appropriate, as each dollar received reduces your debt load. To start your search process, the AccessLex Institute has put together a wide rage of available outside scholarships for law students.
Do I need to reapply for loans each year?
Yes, you must complete a new FAFSA each year and you need to complete a Federal Graduate PLUS loan application if applicable to renew your loans.
I received a stipend from the University, will I receive tax documentation for that?
No, the University doesn’t issue tax documentation for stipend payments as that funding is considered self-reported for tax purposes. Students can access their payslips in Workday to use as documentation of the funding should they need it for tax purposes. If you are a non-resident for tax purposes, you may receive documentation. We have more information about Law School stipend processing on our Financial Aid Stipend webpage.
What if I still have questions and need more direction?
Please feel free to contact our office or book an appointment online. We know that financial aid can be stressful and we are here to help you in any way we can.