FAQs

Our incoming students may be eligible for:

• Merit Scholarships
• Fellowships
• Specialized scholarships
• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans
• Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans

Merit scholarships are renewed automatically for students in good standing.

• Scholarships are divided equally between fall and spring academic semesters only.
• Scholarships cannot be applied to summer tuition.
• Full-time JD scholarships are awarded based on enrollment in 6 consecutive academic semesters. Weekend JD scholarships are awarded based on enrollment in 8 consecutive academic semesters. Or, until graduation from the JD program, whichever comes first.
• Scholarship funds cover tuition costs only and cannot exceed tuition charges.

Full-time JD students must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 credit hours and Weekend JD (part-time) must be enrolled in a minimum of 8 credit hours.

If a student drops below the minimum credit hour required, the amount of the merit scholarship will be adjusted to cover about the same percentage of tuition the student would have received for their respective program. Pro-rated scholarships count towards a term of eligibililty.

Full-time to Weekend JD
Students who transfer from the Full-time JD program to the Weekend JD program, after their first year, will have their scholarship eligibility extended to four years. The merit scholarship amount will be adjusted to cover about the same percentage of tuition they would have been eligible for in the Full-time JD program.

Weekend to Full-time JD
Students who transfer from the Weekend JD program to the Full-time JD program, after their first year, will have their scholarship eligibility limited to three years and the merit scholarship amount will not be adjusted.

The amount of the merit scholarship award cannot be increased or be adjusted with tuition increases.

If a student receives both internal and external scholarship funding which is restricted to tuition only and the total amount exceeds tuition, the merit scholarship will be adjusted first to ensure that the total amount does not exceed tuition.

You must notify the JD Admission & Scholarships office as well as the University’s Financial Aid Office of any outside awards you have earned. Any outside awards may impact your federal loan eligibility amount.

You may request to be considered for federal work-study. Once your award is amended to include work-study, you may apply and will be awarded based on hours that you work. Work-study is not available over the summer.

The standard budget is comprehensive and includes a monthly evaluation for rent, food, utilities, miscellaneous expenses, medical insurance and other health expenses, and all travel for a 9 month period. You may complete the budget appeal process through the Financial Aid Office, should you need adjustments to cover necessary or unexpected costs. The appeal process cannot be used to cover items such as moving costs, furniture, car loan payments, pre-existing debt, or living expenses associated with days prior to or after the academic enrollment period.

Because Loyola University Chicago is a private institution, there is no difference in tuition for residents and non-residents.

The Department of Education randomly selects a portion of all Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applicants for verification. You did nothing wrong. You will need to submit a signed worksheet (including a statement of household size and untaxed income) and a copy of your signed federal income tax return.

Issues with your credit can take a while to get cleared up, so it is in your best interest to request the reports and start working on any problems as soon as possible.

Also, you may want to start keeping track of what you are spending on a monthly basis to see how much you are living on, and if there are things you may be able to do without as a law student.

Half-time enrollment is required to receive federal loans. Generally, to be considered half-time you must be enrolled in at least 4 graduate semester hours (depending on the program). Full-time enrollment is defined as 8 graduate semester hours (depending on the program).

To receive federal assistance for Summer Sessions, you must be enrolled at least half-time. For students enrolled in semester programs, half-time is defined as two credit hours. The credits may be taken in one session or may be divided between sessions.