Aid for Law Students

Washington and Lee assists students in financing their legal education through University merit scholarships, educational loans from state, federal and private lenders, and participation in federally-sponsored work and loan programs (Title IV).

Scholarships and Grants:

There are no need-based grants available for law students.

Merit-based scholarships and grants are awarded by the Law School Admissions Office based on undergraduate academic records, LSAT scores, probability of superior scholarship in the School of Law, and potential for leadership in the legal profession. Please visit the Admissions website or contact the Law School Admissions Office at LawAdm@wlu.edu for more details. These awards are not handled by the Financial Aid Office.

Graduate Student Loans:

Absent unique circumstances, admitted students are offered loans to meet the total cost of attendance at W&L Law. Qualification for state and federal educational loans is determined by applicable regulations and by the availability of funds. Graduate student loans are handled by the Office of Financial Aid.

All students who wish to finance their legal education with loans must complete a FAFSA and direct that it be sent to the Washington and Lee Office of Financial Aid. Each year the FAFSA becomes available in October. The Office of Financial Aid will not begin processing your file until you have been admitted and your FAFSA has been received.

For more information regarding graduate student loans, please visit Loan Information or contact Drake Breeden, Senior Assistant Director of Financial Aid, at (540) 458-8032 or ebreeden@wlu.edu.

Federal Work-study:

Financial aid award letters for law students do not include federal work-study.  However, funds are available to students who demonstrate financial need.  Law students may request approval to work on campus through the University's work study program. The work study award is $4,000 and reduces a student's Grad PLUS Loan eligibility by the work study award amount. Please note that if you accept the work study award and a position, the Office of Financial Aid typically does not revise the award later in the year if the student does not earn the full amount that was awarded. Know too that a student must still obtain a work study position. The listing of available work study positions for the upcoming academic year is updated each summer and made available to eligible students. Students interested in participating in work study should contact  Drake Breeden, Associate Director of Financial Aid, Law, at 540.458.8032 or ebreeden@wlu.edu in order to receive school approval. Due to the rigor of the curriculum, first-year students are strongly encouraged not to be employed outside the law school and to limit their hours to 10 per week.