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If my parents make 60k a year total, how much GRANT money will I get from T14 law schools? By grant, I mean something I don't have to pay back. Will I qualify for anything need based? How much grant money do you think I would get, if I get into a T14?

streampaw wrote:If my parents make 60k a year total, how much GRANT money will I get from T14 law schools? By grant, I mean something I don't have to pay back. Will I qualify for anything need based? How much grant money do you think I would get, if I get into a T14?

The type of grant you are asking about is almost exclusively to be had via merit scholarships. In other words, you will not get supplemental aid due to your financial situation. As you might imagine, the amount you get in merit scholarships is highly contingent on your numbers as compared to the school's median numbers (LSAT & GPA). What's interesting about law school is that schools tend to be very willing to give out these scholarships, and also, are willing to negotiate upward upon request for additional aid. In general, ability to negotiate upward is directly related to competing offers from other schools, so you are encouraged to apply to most of the T20 even if you aren't interested in attending (to gain a potential bargaining chip). However, when negotiating, you basically need to convince them that the extra money will sway you, so having poor parents might help with that --although most law students finance their entire education via student loans so it might not be that convincing to admission deans.

Hope that helps. Please vote for me for most helpful poster when the vote comes out in December 2014.

not shit.

hth.

(see: experience)

There are virtually no need-based loans outside of YHS. I'm poorer than you. Take my word for it.

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LRGhost wrote:There are virtually no need-based loans outside of YHS. I'm poorer than you. Take my word for it.

This may have been true at some point in time but I don't think it is the case anymore. At Georgetown, the only T14 school i looked at, "Dean's Tuition Grants are awarded to approximately 1/3 of the full-time J.D. class based on financial need":
https://www.law.georgetown.edu/admissio ... stance.cfm

At least 4 other schools to which I am applying in the top 50 also offer need-based aid.

nenydcusc wrote:

LRGhost wrote:There are virtually no need-based loans outside of YHS. I'm poorer than you. Take my word for it.

This may have been true at some point in time but I don't think it is the case anymore. At Georgetown, the only T14 school i looked at, "Dean's Tuition Grants are awarded to approximately 1/3 of the full-time J.D. class based on financial need":
https://www.law.georgetown.edu/admissio ... stance.cfm

At least 4 other schools to which I am applying in the top 50 also offer need-based aid.

Yeah, it goes to people with good grades and the 1/3 number is going to include nominal scholarships and grants. 'Need-based aid' is a nice way of saying we'll give you some money but it won't be a lot and it won't be structured on your need.

At HYS you'll get about 30k/year in grants if you and your parents have minimal assets/income. You'll probably lose about $20k in your third year b/c they take into account your SA income.

So total, about ~$70k