Amount of Funding

Applicants for SPIF are eligible for up to $9,000 in funding for 12 weeks of work. The maximum SPIF amount is based on 12 weeks of employment for those on-aid. Eligibility will be pro-rated down for those working a shorter period, with a minimum requirement of 8 weeks of work and at least 280 hours. Placements shorter than 8 weeks/280 hours do not qualify for SPIF unless two SPIF-eligible positions are coupled together to equal at least that minimum requirement. On-aid SPIF disbursements will be pro-rated based on the number of hours worked using the presumption that the $750/week amount is based on 35 hours per week. We understand that there are multiple summer holidays so weekly hours may fluctuate. A maximum of 37.5 hours per week is counted towards the hour requirement and any work beyond the 37.5 hours is considered volunteer and will not count towards the requirement.

* “on financial aid” is defined as being eligible for and receiving at least $20,500 in funding that is certified by the Student Financial Services office. The funding can include (but is not limited to) HLS grants, federal and/or private student loans, fellowships, and/or scholarships from outside sources. Federal Work Study, SPIF stipends or grants, and SPIF loans do not count towards the $20,500 threshold. Eligibility for SPIF is based on a student’s current academic progress towards their JD, whether they receive financial aid, and if they have a dependent child.  SPIF funding amounts are the same for 1Ls, 2Ls, and SJDs.

** Additional funding beyond 8 weeks is not available for students not on financial aid.

In most cases, students who are not using Federal Work Study (FWS) will have SPIF distributed before the work is completed. Students using FWS will be paid weekly for hours worked, up to 40 hours per week. Therefore, we use the Supervisor Evaluation and Time Log (that are due September 15) to verify completion of the 280 minimum hour requirement. Please note, as a condition of SPIF and Financial Aid, students are required to work at least 280 hours over the course of 8 calendar weeks during the summer.

Students who do not meet the requirement of 280 hours over a minimum of 8 weeks, for ANY reason, will be required to forfeit the entire SPIF amount which HLS recoups by adding a charge to the student’s account. In rare instances, primarily in cases where there are unforeseen circumstances outside of a student’s control, the SPIF Committee may allow the student to keep a prorated portion of the funding at the end of the summer. In those cases the student’s account will only be charged for the portion of the funding for which they were ineligible.

Additionally, if a student receives supplemental funding over the course of the summer which increases their total funding for their SPIF position above the funding cap, they are required to return a portion of their SPIF funding in order to maintain consistency with the funding cap guidelines.

The spirit of the SPIF program is that individuals work a minimum of 280 hours over a minimum of 8 weeks to constitute meaningful time in a placement, with additional funds for extra weeks up to 12 weeks. Throughout the summer there are regionally recognized holidays as well as other reasons why an individual may not be able to work full time (35 hours) in a given week. Typically, individuals can plan their summers in such a way that the expected closures do not affect their ability to meet the minimum number of week/hours required of their amount of funding. However, if you experience a hardship over the summer that makes meeting the SPIF time requirements difficult due to particular situations, please reach out to us as there may be reasonable accommodations for pro-rated funding.