Rock and a Hard Place (Scholarship Inquiry) Forum

[tennactitans]

Quick question, TLS:

I'm beginning my apps, and am hit with the "how do you plan to pay for LS?" I am only applying to schools where I will be 100% funded through the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Fund, so I am including that.

My question is whether or not to include in this section that I am seeking a cost of living scholarship. I don't want the adcom to see that I'll be paid in full, and pass over me for scholarships. Of course, I don't need tuition assistance, but am hoping for a merit scholarship (over 75% LSAT for most) that I can turn into CoL. Any advice on the best way to approach this?

Thanks all.

[McAvoy]

Quick question, TLS:

I'm beginning my apps, and am hit with the "how do you plan to pay for LS?" I am only applying to schools where I will be 100% funded through the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Fund, so I am including that.

My question is whether or not to include in this section that I am seeking a cost of living scholarship. I don't want the adcom to see that I'll be paid in full, and pass over me for scholarships. Of course, I don't need tuition assistance, but am hoping for a merit scholarship (over 75% LSAT for most) that I can turn into CoL. Any advice on the best way to approach this?

Thanks all.

There is a big veterans thread in this forum that should get you the help you need; you might need to dig a page or two to bump it.

I don't recall being asked this question though, and I applied to like 20 schools. Where are you looking at?

[tennactitans]

Quick question, TLS:

I'm beginning my apps, and am hit with the "how do you plan to pay for LS?" I am only applying to schools where I will be 100% funded through the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Fund, so I am including that.

My question is whether or not to include in this section that I am seeking a cost of living scholarship. I don't want the adcom to see that I'll be paid in full, and pass over me for scholarships. Of course, I don't need tuition assistance, but am hoping for a merit scholarship (over 75% LSAT for most) that I can turn into CoL. Any advice on the best way to approach this?

Thanks all.

There is a big veterans thread in this forum that should get you the help you need; you might need to dig a page or two to bump it.

I don't recall being asked this question though, and I applied to like 20 schools. Where are you looking at?

I've scoured the Vets threads. In fact, I've only come across a few CoL topics on TLS as a whole. Schools:

U Tenn
FSU
Belmont
U Louisville

(Low GPA and intend to practice in Nashville)

[Attax]

I also had a low GPA, don't limit yourself to those schools. Can you use that stuff at Vandy, if so retake.

[tennactitans]

I also had a low GPA, don't limit yourself to those schools. Can you use that stuff at Vandy, if so retake.

I'd still be at 20k a year at Vandy and, to be honest with myself, I'm not a realistic candidate for them. I'll graduate with a low LSAC gpa, criminal justice BS from a state university, and I'm a 161 LSAT after 3 months of grinding. I know TLS rains fire on people who think they're "special," but I really should have a few high paying options in my hometown (as long as I graduate "something" cum laude). Better to be a big fish in a small pond, no?

[adpc]

Are you saying you want a scholarship that will pay COL on top of the Chapter 33 BAH? Because that's not possible. Institutional scholarships are applied to your tuition/fees balance before the GI Bill steps in, so any scholarship is just reducing the amount the VA pays.

[tennactitans]

Are you saying you want a scholarship that will pay COL on top of the Chapter 33 BAH? Because that's not possible. Institutional scholarships are applied to your tuition/fees balance before the GI Bill steps in, so any scholarship is just reducing the amount the VA pays.

Thats great information. Thank you. Just so I understand, GI will cover approximately 19k and YRF will cover the remaining 15-20k at a particular private school. Even though the GI Bill will not cover the entire amount of tuition my plan will still be impossible? I knew that scholarship is paid first but, YRF aside, it won't cover the whole thing.

If I'm out on that route is there such a thing as a direct CoL scholarship? A tuition scholarship would disqualify me but a paid one would not, right? Is it crazy to mention this? I know I'm sounding pretty greedy here but if the military has taught me anything it's to maximize your opportunities and know absolutely everything you can about a situation before you enter it. Again, thanks for the responses.

[adpc]

Correct. If you have a 90% scholarship, that is applied first and the GI Bill only covers the remaining 10% and fees. Now, if you have Chapter 33 (Post-9/11) you would still get monthly payments of BAH based on an E-5 with dependents in the zip code of your school. You also get a book stipend up to (I believe) $500/semester.

I've never heard of a direct COL scholarship (outside of stipends like the Ruby at UChi), and I'm not sure if the VA would allow this, but it never hurts to ask. Call up the schools' finaid offices after scholly offers and ask.