IS LAW SCHOOL AFFORDABLE?
Funding a legal education can be a daunting task, especially when you are responsible for financing your law school education and living expenses yourself. Merit or need-based scholarships are available, but the largest forms of financial aid for law students are educational loans.
At the Charleston School of Law, you are automatically considered for merit scholarship based on your application, specifically your LSAT score and cumulative GPA. 90% of the fall 2022 entering class received a merit scholarship, and the average award was $19,000.
Those who are not selected for a merit scholarship may apply for a need-based scholarship, which provides an opportunity for all students to receive some form of institutional scholarship.
Additionally, first-year students are eligible for the Presidential Honors Program based on their first semester GPA or first-year GPA, and the program includes a scholarship component.
Federal Student Loans
You are eligible to receive aid (scholarships, loans, VA benefits, etc.) up to the established cost-of-attendance budget, which includes tuition and fees plus a reasonable amount for room and board, books/supplies, and miscellaneous expenses for the academic year. The two federal student loans available to you to cover the cost-of-attendance are the Direct Unsubsidized Loan and Grad PLUS Loan. Unlike undergraduate loans, these are not need-based.
Make sure to use The Charleston School of Law’s Federal School Code so your results are sent to us: G40963
Create a budget based on tuition and cost of living estimates
For students who entered in fall 2022, yearly tuition is $43,700 for full-time J.D. students and $35,100 for part-time J.D. students. All students pay an annual Student Bar Association fee of $120 and a Student Success Fee of $914.
Follow our Financial Aid Process steps
In order to apply for federal student aid, you must file a FAFSA and complete the steps on this checklist.