Law schools in the U.S. provide financial aid to students and may include the costs of tuition, books, study materials, and living expenses.  Generally, financial aid comes in three ways; loans, scholarships/grants, and federal college work study.

Federal loans are of three types.

Federal Stafford (subsidized and unsubsidized):

The federal government offers fixed-rate loans.  The government also offers subsidized loans based on the student’s financial needs.  The student shall not be responsible for interest before beginning repayment or during deferment.  For an unsubsidized Stafford loan, the student’s financial necessity need not be shown.  However, the student will be responsible for interest from loan disbursement until repayment.

Federal Perkins:

These are low-interest loans are awarded by law schools.   A student using this loan is not responsible for interest before beginning repayment and during deferment.

Graduate PLUS:

These loans are provided through private lenders and can be used to make up any difference between other federal loans and school-provided aid.

Students can also obtain private loans.

Scholarships and Grants:

Law students can also receive scholarships and grants from law schools and various agencies.  These are often awarded on the basis of merit or financial need and need not be repaid.

Federal College Work Study:

Federal Work Study program allows a student to work part-time during the school year and full-time during the summer to help cover law school costs.