Financial Aid

For Prospective and Admitted Students The standard student budget at HLS allows for a moderate standard of living and does not provide an allowance for credit card…

The Financial Aid Program at Harvard Law School is need-based. We do not award any merit-based financial assistance to JD students. To help law students who…

If you opt to spend both summers in higher paying positions presuming there are no other significant changes, you can expect your student contribution from…

If you opt to spend both summers in lower paying or SPIF eligible positions presuming there are no other significant changes, you can expect your…

If you opt to spend the summer between your 1L and 2L years in a lower paying or SPIF eligible position and the summer between…

As a need-based aid financial aid program, HLS reevaluates your eligibility for grant aid each academic year. Your eligibility will fluctuate based on the finances…

Harvard Law School’s commitment to public service includes the generous loan repayment assistance and summer public interest funding described below, along with the largest and…

When can I apply for financial aid?
The financial aid application process (for both students and parents) opens after admission. Our institutional financial aid application on…

Here are two hypothetical aid package examples to illustrate how we meet demonstrated financial need for eligible applicants at Harvard Law School for 2022-2023. Students…

The Harvard Law School Public Service Venture Fund awards $1 million in grants every year to help graduating students pursue careers in public service. The first…

LIPP is a comprehensive and flexible loan repayment assistance program for graduates working in relatively low-paying jobs. It allows HLS graduates to choose from a…

Many law schools have loan repayment assistance (LRAP) programs, but no two are run in exactly the same way. As a prospective law student, LRAPs…

One of the advantages LIPP offers over many loan repayment assistance programs (LRAPs) is that it repays your loans on the standard 10-year term. This…

This funding is administered by the Harvard University Committee on General Scholarships (CGS) (http://www.scholarship.harvard.edu/). These scholarships are awarded with income from Harvard endowment funds…

The J.D. financial aid program is designed to help students from across the economic spectrum and around the world meet the expense of a law…

This page is designed to help you contact your lenders and servicers during repayment, or when you are preparing to begin repayment. It contains contact…

If you have taken federal Stafford (Direct or FFELP), GradPLUS (Direct or FFELP) or Perkins loans prior to entering HLS you qualify for deferment of those loans…

When you borrow through the federal loan programs (direct/Stafford, Perkins, and GradPLUS) or the Harvard Law School loan program, you will not be liable for…

Many loan programs provide death and disability cancellation. However, if you borrow through a loan program that does not, you may wish…

Interest Accrual Interest begins to accrue at the time of disbursement on your unsubsidized loans. While you are in school and during your grace period,…

There are two categories of education consolidation loans: federal and private. Federal Loan Consolidation Federal loan consolidation combines multiple federal loans into one new loan. There is…

Your credit rating plays an essential role in helping you achieve your financial goals.  Building and maintaining a good credit history while you are a…

Students who are seeking financial assistance at Harvard Law School should plan to contribute all of their own personal resources toward meeting educational expenses before…

Overview and Policy Although government regulations specify that student eligibility for federal funds be based on the previous tax year information, we base eligibility for institutional funds on a…

Students with special circumstances or questions about the policies that govern how we determine financial aid eligibility for married students and students with dependents should…

At HLS we understand the value of being able to plan and budget. This page includes several aid examples that vary based on whether or…

There are many different websites that are available to students who are looking for additional funding sources. We have compiled some commonly used resources to…

After holding tuition flat for one year, Harvard Law School will have a tuition increase of 2.8% for the 2021-2022 academic year. The following information…

Policy for Federal Financial Aid Recipients The academic requirements for the JD, LL.M and SJD degree programs at Harvard Law School include the satisfactory completion…

Parent resources are calculated by a nationally accepted institutional methodology formula, coordinated by the College Scholarship Service (CSS).  General Requirements Although the Law School has…

Credit: Lorin Granger J.D. Students may apply for additional funding to cover the cost of purchasing professional attire, as well as expenses related to clerkship…

Financial policies are set and reviewed by members of the Student Financial Services Commitee, which includes members of the faculty and administration as well as…

If your parent information is a consideration in the determination of your eligibility for need-based financial aid, and they experience a change to their circumstances…

Harvard Law School has a limited amount of its own loan funds.  These funds are typically awarded to students who qualify for HLS grant assistance, …

General Overview of Treatment of Assets Students should expect to contribute all of their personal assets toward their educational expenses over the course of their three-year legal…

Loan Adjustments Adjustments to the amount you borrow can take place within certain guidelines.  To increase a loan simply complete a new loan application with the…

Once we complete our review of your preliminary financial aid application, we will send notification to you via email (on a rolling basis for admitted…

Here are a few orientation-related terms to understand. HLS Student Financial Services: we award financial aid to JD students, process student loans, monitor JD student…

The financial aid application opens after you are admitted to HLS. In Step 1 you will submit your Preliminary Application for Aid, which always begins…

* Be certain to read this entire page of instructions prior to clicking the application link Personal Information FSA User name and password Permanent mailing…

We urge all students to become familiar with the LIPP program. While many students know at graduation that they want to apply for LIPP and…

Below is a summary of the general loan guidelines and repayment details. You should always refer to your promissory note and to your lender’s web site…

In order to begin repayment you first have to know what loans you have borrowed and to whom you will be making payments to. There…

How do I know what loans I have and who I’m supposed to repay? There are four resources for you: Your HLS Borrowing History…

STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT SESSIONS – 2022 SCHEDULE Registration There is no limit to the number of students who can attend any one session. You do not…

Your federal loans come with some built in benefits. Don’t be shy about using them in time of need. Loan Deferment Federal loan deferment is used…

Every graduating J.D. student who has borrowed federal and/or private loans is required to have a 3L Student Loan Repayment meeting with representatives from Student…