Loyola University Chicago

Financial Aid Office

Bar Exam Expenses

The costs associated with taking the bar exam may potentially by covered through a combination of Federal and private loan sources.  Only certain expenses incurred while a law student is still enrolled may be considered for Federal financial aid.  Expenses incurred after graduation may only be covered through a bar study loan.  Please see the following details regarding which expenses may be covered through what means.

Bar Exam Cost

First, if you have not already borrowed the maximum $20,500 in Federal Direct Stafford Loans for the academic year, we recommend taking advantage of your remaining eligibility. The terms and conditions of a Federal Direct Stafford Loan are better than a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan. To request the additional Federal Direct Stafford Loan funds, please complete a request for reinstatement.

If you have already borrowed up to your current Cost of Attendance, you will need to submit an appeal to our office in order for us to be aware of your bar exam expense. You may appeal by submitting our Budget Adjustment Appeal, along with a receipt for the cost of one bar exam, to our office.  The receipt and appeal form must be submitted while still enrolled.  Budget adjustments cannot be made after a student has graduated.

Students are notified by the Financial Aid Office when an appeal has been received and once it has been reviewed.  If approved, students may then apply for additional loan funds to cover the expense.  Loan options include:

*Loyola University Chicago strongly encourages you to exhaust all federal loan borrowing eligibility before borrowing a private loan.  Private loans do not require a FAFSA to be filed and enrollment requirements can vary by lender.  If you wish to borrow a private loan, click here to begin the application process.

Illinois Bar Exam Registration Costs

On Time Registration (Late Registration Fees Higher) $950.00
Payment to Examsoft if taking the test via laptop $100.00
Total $1,050.00

Bar Study Private Loans

Post law school expenses, such as the costs of bar preparatory classes, additional bar exam registrations, and living expenses may only be covered through a bar study private loan.  When applying for a bar study private loan, only request the loan amount needed.

Bar study private loans are available to law students who have recently graduated or will soon graduate from an ABA-accredited law school.  These loans are offered through private lending institutions.  Most bar study private loan programs have similar eligibility requirements and loan limits; they differ mainly in fees and repayment options. Most lenders will require that you are either graduating from a law school within the school year or that you graduated within the past six months.

For reference, please see a listing below of potential expenses for bar preparatory courses and bar registration fees.  Living expenses will vary depending on a student’s individual situation.

BARBRI Bar Review Expenses

Non-Refundable Registration Fee $250.00
Refundable Materials Deposit $250.00
Refundable Materials Lease Fee $250.00
Late Enrollment or Late Payment Fee $75.00
Total $825.00

BARBRI Tuition + Registration By State

California Tuition $4,350.00
New York Tuition   $3,850.00
Indiana Tuition   $3,125.00
Wisconsin Tuition   $3,125.00
Michigan Tuition   $3,350.00
Pennsylvania Tuition   $3,700.00
Texas Tuition   $3,850.00
Georgia Tuition   $3,350.00
Virginia Tuition   $3,850.00
Illinois Tuition  

$3,850.00

For a complete listing of BABRI preparatory course fees by state, please see their webpage at http://www.barbri.com/courseInfo/index.html.