Financial Aid Gift Opportunities

Make your gift today

Financial aid is the single most important way the law school can more equally distribute opportunity and welcome the most talented students. This support has the potential to transform not only the lives of these students, but also the lives of every client and cause they will go on to represent and every community they serve. As a result, the financial aid we provide impacts thousands of people and families who may never set foot on the Harvard Law School campus.

Natasha Onken, Assistant Dean for Student Financial Services
  • Financial aid awarded $40M+
  • Average LIPP participants annually 600+
  • 1Ls who receive SPIF support >55%

Giving Opportunities

By making a gift to financial aid, you are supporting students who will go on to advance justice and uphold the rule of law. From scholarship funds that will help generations of students during their time on campus to LIPP funds allowing graduates to explore all possible career paths, there are opportunities to make a difference across all aspects of the Harvard Law School experience.

Contact a member of our team to learn more.

As one of only two U.S. law schools providing exclusively need-based financial aid, Harvard Law School aims to make a world-class legal education accessible to every student, no matter their background, and to reduce the debt our students have when they graduate so they can do the work that brings them fulfillment.

  • Endowed HLS Opportunity Fund

    Make a life-changing commitment to our J.D. students with the highest financial need, enabling some to attend tuition-free, through your gift to establish a new Opportunity Fund scholarship. Opportunities start at $250,000.* Read more about the Opportunity Fund.

  • HLS Opportunity Funds

    Together with other supporters, you can make a collective impact on J.D. students with the greatest financial need with a gift of any size to our endowed (long-term impact) or current-use (immediate impact) group funds. Read more about the Opportunity Fund.

  • Endowed Scholarship Fund for J.D. or Graduate Students

    Create a permanent fund offering need-based financial aid grants annually to HLS students, with no expectation of repayment. Opportunities start at $250,000.*

    *Naming opportunities available

  • Endowed Low-Income Protection Plan (LIPP) Fund

    Establish a permanent fund for our loan repayment assistance program supporting J.D. graduates working in lower-paying positions in public service, the government, and nonprofits. Opportunities start at $250,000.*

    *Naming opportunities available

  • Endowed Summer Public Interest Fund (SPIF)

    Support students who pursue positions in the public interest during the summer. Opportunities start at $250,000.*

    *Naming opportunities available

  • Annual Fund Scholarship

    Provide substantial aid to a J.D. student now with a current-use gift of $25,000.*

    *Naming opportunities available

  • The Annual Fund

    No Minimum

    Make an immediate impact with a gift of any size to the Annual Fund, which supports need-based financial aid for J.D. students.

  • Graduate Program Financial Aid Fund

    No Minimum

    Make a gift of any size to this fund to direct immediate financial aid to talented LL.M. and S.J.D. students from across the globe.

Student Voices

Students share their perspectives on life at Harvard Law School, including the role financial aid plays in making an HLS education possible.
Clyde Engle ’25

“Having this scholarship means that I am able to attend HLS. Without it, I likely would’ve had to attend a different law school that offered merit-based aid. I support my family back home while I am attending HLS, so it is truly meaningful and life-changing to receive this scholarship. It also helps alleviate my debt burden, which will allow me to make career decisions somewhat free from financial considerations. I am grateful to you from the bottom of my heart.”

Clyde Engle ’25, recipient of the 2022–2023 Martha M. and Henry J. Harding Memorial Fund

“As a first-generation college student from a lower-income family, this scholarship has had a huge impact on me – it helped significantly reduce the loans I had to take out for my education, and it helps bring me peace of mind to know that I can pursue a public interest career in the future and still have a shot at repaying my loans.”

Mackenzie Saunders ’25, recipient of the endowed HLS Public Interest Scholarship Fund

Donor Voices

Harold Hope
Harold P. Hope III ’99

“When I look across my classmates, they came from all walks of life, with different opinions and interests. I have friends who are in law, government, business, nonprofits, and even Hollywood. That diversity gives Harvard Law School such an advantage. The free exchange of ideas, dialogues, and experiences I had with my classmates was one of the greatest gifts of my education. I would like my support of financial aid to continue to attract students from all different backgrounds, who will add infinitely to the quality and experience of an HLS education.”

Harold P. Hope III ’99, donor of the Harold Hope Family/Goldman Sachs Gives Financial Aid Fund 
Debra L. Lee ’80

“LIPP is a tremendous resource that benefits both HLS graduates and the communities where they serve. I was thrilled to support this unique program, which was the first of its kind at a law school. Through LIPP, the Law School can preserve freedom of job choice and enable HLS students to follow the pursuit of justice wherever it may lead them.”

Debra L. Lee ’80, donor of the Debra L. Lee Endowed LIPP Fund for Public Service
Inspired by his lifelong friend, James Bailey ’73 established The Honorable Sidney Barthwell Jr. ’90 Memorial Scholarship Fund to ensure that future generations of deserving students from underrepresented groups will have the opportunity to obtain a world class legal education.