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I have been given my financial aid package by the school recently, but the package seems to be very low (20,500). I'm trying to find out if this is enough for everything, from tuition to books to housing.

http://financialaid.buffalo.edu/costs/lawcost.php

If the numbers here are true, then I'm being offered far too less to maintain anything involving this school.

Are these numbers even accurate?

EDIT: I have finally figured out where to get an estimates list. Unfortunately, the amount being offered is far less than what can maintain me per year (apparently, yearly it would cost me around 38,000 for everything). How can I get more money in order to fund my education?

ohmylord wrote:I have been given my financial aid package by the school recently, but the package seems to be very low (20,500). I'm trying to find out if this is enough for everything, from tuition to books to housing.

http://financialaid.buffalo.edu/costs/lawcost.php

If the numbers here are true, then I'm being offered far too less to maintain anything involving this school.

Are these numbers even accurate?

EDIT: I have finally figured out where to get an estimates list. Unfortunately, the amount being offered is far less than what can maintain me per year (apparently, yearly it would cost me around 38,000 for everything). How can I get more money in order to fund my education?

Thats wht UB does for financial aid. they dont give out other aid, except for scholarships. the rest you have to take out grad plus loans for. If you think you need more than 38,000 total- you need to contact the financial aid office and let them know your circumstances.

20,500 is the max for Stafford loans. Anything above that you would have to take out GradPLUS loans for. You should be able to get loans (combo of stafford and GradPLUS) up to your school's COA. That is after any aid your school may offer you. If you get 10k in grants, and your COA is 38k, you will be allowed the 20,500 in Stafford loans and then you'd need 7,500 in GradPLUS loans.

From my experience, UB was the only school that did not list the GradPlus loans in their original letter, so it ends up looking like less aid than other schools. Once you are enrolled at the school, you can apply for the GradPlus loans and that will cover the remaining amounts. UB's financial aid office told me that I should start the GradPlus process in July before my first semester.

Silly question, but in my situation, I do not have a summer job and thus no money. If I'm reading the whole cost of attendance sheets correctly, will the loans I take out be money I can use for things such as groceries or general living expenses? Or will I have a hard time living at law school without my own source of income?

the grad plus loans you will be able to use for that. They have an explination for how they got to their cost of living ( which is included in total cost of attendance). if your living style will exceede that- you will have to get more loans, if you are unwilling to cut back on your expenses.