Types of Aid

• Scholarships
• Grants
• Education Loans
• Bar Exam Loans

Scholarships

UC Irvine School of Law Dean’s Merit Scholarships

Every student admitted to the UCI School of Law is considered for Dean's Merit Scholarships. The scholarship will be offered to those whose academic records demonstrate exceptional promise for outstanding law school performance. The Merit Scholarships may be valued up to full tuition and fees.

The Dean's Merit Scholarship is renewable for the 2L and 3L years. This scholarship requires six (6) consecutive semesters of full-time enrollment and the student to remain in good academic standing at the end of each year.

UC Irvine School of Law Public Service Fellowships

As an expression of the law school's commitment to supporting students interested in the public sector, admitted students who show evidence through their application of previous service and a commitment to pursuing careers in the public sector will be considered for Public Service Fellowships. Public Service Fellowships may be valued up to full tuition and fees.

The Public Service Fellowship is renewable for the 2L and 3L years. This scholarship requires six (6) consecutive semesters of full-time enrollment and the student to remain in good academic standing at the end of each year.

For information about scholarship retention, please visit our Scholarship Retention Data page.

Scholarships from other sources

For a list of other scholarships for law students, please go to our Outside Scholarships page.

Grants

UC Irvine School of Law Need-Based Grants

To ensure that the law school remains financially accessible, UCI Law provides need-based grants to qualified newly admitted students. Students who wish to be considered for these need-based grants must submit complete parental information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the March 4 application deadline. Each student’s eligibility for a need-based grant is determined by utilizing the information submitted on the FAFSA.

Students must provide parents' information on the FAFSA application unless they fall in one of the following categories:

• Student is 30 years of age or older at the beginning of the academic year for which he/she is applying.
• Student can provide documentation that parents did not claim him/her on their tax returns for the last seven years.
• Student has a dependent other than a spouse.
• Student is a veteran.
• Student was considered as an independent by his/her undergraduate institution through dependency override, however, not based on age or marital status. Documentation required.

Students who do not fit the above criteria and do not provide parents' information will not be considered for a need-based grant award.

Education Loans

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Programs

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans

The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program enables qualified professional students to receive up to $20,500 in federally guaranteed loans, which are financed by the federal government. The fixed interest rate is 6.8% and repayment begins 6 months after graduation.  The student is responsible for the interest, which accrues from disbursement, on the Direct Unsubsidized Loan up to $20,500.

The U.S. Department of Education allows all eligible recipients to receive a lifetime amount of $138,500 including undergraduate and graduate federal loans.

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

Graduate and professional students are eligible for a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan. The Direct Graduate PLUS loan has a fixed interest rate of 7.9%, no annual or aggregate loan limits (other than cost of attendance less other financial aid), and a credit review requirement. Just as with Direct Unsubsidized loans, Graduate PLUS Loan borrowers are eligible for in-school deferments if they are enrolled at least half-time. This loan has the same payment options, same deferments and forbearances, and same cancellation provisions as Direct Unsubsidized loans; interest accruals begin immediately upon disbursement. See comparison chart below for more details.

All applicants must submit a FAFSA in order to be considered. Once the FAFSA has been processed and the data has been received by the admitting school, the borrower will receive electronic Financial Aid Notification indicating the types and amounts of financial aid awarded.

All federal loans certified for students enrolled at UCI will be processed through the Federal Direct Loan Program. This program format eliminates the need for borrowers to select a secondary market lender because the institution receives the loan proceeds directly from the Department of Education. This program format is beneficial to borrowers because of the option to consolidate at graduation, and the in-school interest rebate.

Private Educational Loans

Private Educational Loans are available from a variety of banks and lenders. The terms and rates for Private Educational Loans are usually not as good as those of Federal Direct Loans, and we encourage students to take advantage of the Federal Direct Loans rather than Private Educational Loans.

To apply for a Private Educational Loan, submit an application with the lender of your choice and inform the School of Law Financial Aid Office of your pending application. You may use any lender, but we suggest that you compare loan terms with those on our Preferred Lender List. Maximum eligibility is based on the cost of attendance less other financial aid received as reflected on your financial aid offer letter.

Private Educational Loan funds are disbursed directly from the lender to the UC Irvine Central Cashier. Students must go to the Loan Services Office at 101 Aldrich Hall to pick up the loan check, or to sign the check over to UC Irvine to be deposited into their ZotAccount to pay fees.

SB 1289 Disclosure

Students considering student loans need to be aware of the differences between federal student loans and private student loans:

• Federal student loans are required by law to provide a range of flexible repayment options including, but not limited to, income-based and income-contingent repayment plans as well as loan forgiveness benefits that private lenders are not required to provide.
• Federal direct loans are available to most students regardless of income. Other qualification criteria do apply. For more information, please visit http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/eligibility.
  
• Private student loan lenders can offer variable interest rates that can increase or decrease over time, depending on market conditions.
• The interest rate on a private loan may depend on the borrower's and/or co-signer's credit rating.
• Private student loans have a range of interest rates and fees and students should determine the interest rate of, and any fees associated with, the private student loan included in their financial aid award package before accepting the loan. Students should contact the lender of the private student loan or their UC campus' financial aid office if they have any questions about a private student loan.