Grant Eligibility Threshold
HLS grant funding can be significant for students with high financial need. Approximately 50% of J.D. student aid applicants (and over 40% of J.D students overall) qualify for Law School grant assistance, and all JD students can receive support in the form of student loans.
Although financial aid packages vary in composition from one year to the next, some basic guidelines are followed each year. Demonstrated financial need is calculated from a standard student budget, which is set at $116,000 for 2024-25. From the budget, HLS subtracts the Family Resources (determined through the application process every year,) and the Grant Eligibility Threshold, which is set at $54,000 for 2024-25. The remaining amount is your Financial Need, and is met with HLS Grant assistance.
We recommend reviewing our short online presentation found on the SFS Video Library webpage entitled “HLS Grant Eligibility.”
If HLS Determines That You Have Financial Need
HLS meets demonstrated need with HLS Grant eligibility in the same amount. Grant recipients will also be offered a Harvard Law School loan, as available funding permits. Students may obtain additional loans through the lender of their choice in order to finance any remaining portion of their cost of attendance. More information on loan options is available on the HLS Preferred Lender Lists.
High-need HLS Grant recipients eligible for the Opportunity Fund will find that their Grant Eligibility Threshold is equivalent to the Total Indirect Costs included in the Cost of Attendance, rather than the standard threshold amount, to allow for full-tuition coverage.
If HLS Determines That You Do Not Have Financial Need
If a student’s demonstrated need is $0, the student is not eligible for HLS grant aid. Instead, the student can apply for student loans, and may obtain outside aid or part-time employment for additional funding. More information on loan options is available on the HLS Preferred Lender Lists.
The HLS grant eligibility threshold changes each academic year in response to the availability of grant funding, and usually rises in relation to annual increases in education costs.
Grant eligibility for any given year is always capped at the rate of tuition for that year.
Hypothetical Aid Packaging Scenarios
Here are two hypothetical packaging examples to further illustrate how we determine eligibility at Harvard Law School.
TYPICAL LOAN RECIPIENT
About 50% of students on aid receive only loans.
Determination of Need
| 2024-2025 | |||
| Standard Student Cost of Attendance (including waivable health insurance) | $116,000 | ||
| minus | Student Resources from Income and Assets | – | $10,000 * |
| minus | Parent Resources | – | $60,000 * |
| minus | Grant Eligibility Threshold | – | $54,000 |
| _________ | |||
| equals | Financial Need/HLS Grant Eligibility | = | $0 |
Financial Aid Eligibility
- HLS Grant: $0
- Funding options: can borrow through student loan programs and obtain part-time employment and/or outside resources
- Total funding from all sources must not exceed the student budget of $116,000
TYPICAL GRANT RECIPIENT
Determination of Need
| 2024-2025 | |||
| Standard Student Cost of Attendance (including waivable health insurance) | $116,000 | ||
| minus | Student Resources from Income and Assets | – | $5,000 * |
| minus | Parent Resources | – | $16,000* |
| minus | Grant Eligibility Threshold | – | $54,000 |
| _________ | |||
| equals | Financial Need/HLS Grant Eligibility | = | $41,000 |
Financial Aid Eligibility
- HLS Grant: $41,000
- Harvard Law School Loan funding may also be listed, depending on availability
- Additional funding options: can borrow through student loan programs and obtain part-time employment and/or outside resources
- Total funding from all sources must not exceed the student budget of $116,000
* To replace student resources or parent resources, students may borrow student loans, seek outside scholarships, and/or seek part-time employment. All student loans borrowed to replace a parent resource amount are eligible for loan repayment assistance under the Low Income Protection Plan. However, student loans borrowed to replace a student resource amount, while permissible, is not eligible for loan repayment assistance under the Low Income Protection Plan.