Are undergrad student loans taken into consideration? Forum

[lalalalala]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if undergrad student loans are taken into consideration by law schools when determining need-based financial aid packages. By the time I apply for law school, I'll have worked for several years and will have some money saved up - instead of having that used against me in terms of how much grant money schools will give me, I'm thinking about using most of my savings to pay off my undergrad student loans. But do law schools look at undergrad student loans when calculating grant packages? I.e. will having student loans get someone more grant money, or does it not make a difference?

Thanks!

[fatduck]

i don't know of any school that asks about this. they are universally brutal about your savings, though. paying off debt is probably a smart move.

[Puttanesca]

Most schools don't ask about undergrad loans, so it would be wise to use some of your savings to pay down your debt (so that the schools don't see your savings and think you have a lot of money without taking into account your loans). IIRC, Need Access did ask about undergrad loans, but a lot of schools don't use Need Access, and of the ones that do, I don't really know how much of a factor undergrad loans play in your estimated need.