Want to have a career in law without racking up overwhelming amounts of debt?
You have two options if paying out of pocket isn’t possible (which is usually the case for most law school students).
1) You can either move to California, Virginia, Vermont or Washington, which are the only four states in the U.S. that allow aspiring lawyers to take the bar exam without a law degree or 2) Apply to as many law scholarships as you can.
If the latter seems more up your alley, check out this 10-minute read on the best scholarships to apply to as a prospective law student.
Why Should I Apply to Law School Scholarships?
In 2020, the American Bar Association reported that the average law school student owed $165,000 of student debt after graduation.
No matter how big or small, every scholarship is “free money”, as opposed to federal and private student loans, which need to be paid off and usually have volatile interest rates.
Applying to scholarships to pay for law school is a money-savvy thing to do if you want to reduce your overall debt.
Can I Get a Scholarship to Study Law?
If you’re looking to apply to law school, you probably know that your undergraduate GPA and LSAT score are two of the most important components of your application.
Oftentimes, law school admissions departments use the LSAT score and GPA in order to objectively rank your strength as an applicant to determine whether or not you qualify for admission.
Beyond being a determining factor in an already competitive admissions process, your LSAT score is also your ticket to receiving merit scholarships.
Law school scholarships are usually awarded based on your LSAT score because it’s the only comprehensive measure to rank your strength as an applicant against all of your peers and an objective measure of your capability to studying law successfully.
While most scholarships will have an essay requirement and ask you to respond to a series of essay questions, scholarship providers usually won’t even read essay responses unless a certain threshold is met for the LSAT score.
What LSAT Score Do I Need to Get for a Scholarship for Law School?
Scholarship eligibility is largely dependent on your LSAT score.
A recent study showed that 90% of students with LSAT scores between 166-190 received merit scholarships, while only 16% of students with LSAT scores below 140 did.
It’s your safest bet to have an LSAT score around or above the median of the law school that you are hoping to attend. Generally, an LSAT score around or above 160 surpasses the national average of 150, making you a competitive applicant to mid-tier law schools. Applicants for the top ten law schools should aim for an LSAT score of 170 or higher.
How to Find Law School Scholarships
Professional Organizations
A professional organization is a voluntary organization that usually seeks to advance the careers of individuals in a specific profession. Professional organizations can be private organizations or non-profit organizations.
There are plenty of professional law or bar organizations that offer scholarship awards to law school students. For example, the American Bar Association awards scholarships to underrepresented first-year law students, and the National Bar Association holds essay-writing scholarship contests on selected contemporary law issues.
If you already know your intended field of law, there are legal and law specialty associations that offer scholarships to students who plan to study that specific field of law. For example, the American Immigration Lawyers Association gives scholarships to law students who are engaged in the area of immigration law, and The Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel offers the Barb Currie Diversity Scholarship.
Your University
If you meet the needed criteria of demonstrated financial need and high merit, the law school that you are applying to will usually automatically offer scholarships with your financial aid award.
However, law schools do offer scholarships outside of the ones offered with financial aid awards. It’s important to be prudent and check if there are separate scholarships that your university offers that you can apply to. The application cycle for scholarships is usually during or after the law school application process.
Law School Admission Council
The Law School Admission Council is a great place to look during your search for law school scholarships.
The LSAC compiles reputable scholarships on their website, currently listing over 20 scholarships for law school students of diverse populations. For example, the LGBT Public Interest Scholarship Program is offered to LGBT-identifying or LGBT-interested law students, while the Sarita and Claire Wright Lucas Foundation offers scholarships to female-identifying Black law students.
Helpful Search Engines
There are a plethora of search engines that can help simplify your law school scholarship search. Here’s a few our favorite search engines:
Sallie Mae’s Scholarship Search Tool
Sallie Mae is a private student loan company that offers a free Scholarship Search tool for undergraduate and graduate students. Make a profile today to find scholarships based on your skills, field of study, and interests!
Bold is the holy grail website for finding scholarships. Offering exclusive scholarships for high school students, undergraduates, and graduates, you can find scholarships based on your experiences, skills, and field of study.
Scholarships.com for Law Scholarships
Scholarships.com is a database for scholarships that is organized based off of everything from major, to SAT score, to residency. It’s a great place to find law scholarships as you can create a free profile, find scholarships that are relevant to you, and also obtain assistance in paying tuition.
Final Thoughts From the Nest
Getting into law school is already hard, but paying for enrollment in law school makes things even harder. Scholarships are a great way to get free money to pay for the cost of tuition and bring the bill down significantly.
Paying for law school tuition with entirely just scholarships is difficult, so remember to consider all of your options. Apply to as many scholarships as you can, and consider using Sparrow’s student loan search tool to make up the difference.
Sparrow is like the Sallie Mae or Bold for student loans; our financial search engine simplifies the lending process and personalizes the service to you.
Make a free profile with us today to automate your private student loan search. We want to make it possible for you to attend the law school of your dreams!