Navigating Loyola Law School Scholarships: A Comprehensive Guide

Furthering your legal education is a significant investment. Loyola Law School recognizes this and offers various scholarships and financial aid options. This article provides a structured overview of the scholarships available at Loyola Law School, eligibility requirements, and the application process.

Merit-Based Scholarships for Incoming Students

Loyola Law School offers scholarships to many of its entering students. All applicants for admission are reviewed for a scholarship award; no additional application is required. Award decisions are merit-based and are communicated along with the admission packet. These scholarships are awarded at the time of admission to full- or weekend Juris Doctor (JD) students and may be classified as renewable or non-renewable, potentially covering up to 100% of tuition. Loyola gives priority scholarship consideration to those who apply by February 15 of each application year.

Ignatian Law Scholar (ILS) Program

Exceptional JD applicants whose application materials demonstrate the Jesuit values of commitment to academic excellence and service to others may be offered the opportunity to participate in the Ignatian Law Scholar (ILS) Program. Law Scholars receive renewable scholarships up to full tuition and a faculty mentor. In addition, Scholars gather for special events each semester to get to know each other and other members of the law school community.

Specific Scholarship Opportunities

Loyola Law School also offers several annual or outside scholarships awarded to students each year through a selection or application process. These include:

Circle of Advocates of the Joseph W. Judge William J.: Awarded to incoming students based on their commitment to public service, demonstrated academic abilities, and potential for leadership. Community service work is defined broadly to include employment, advocacy, and/or volunteer activities, both in government and non-government arenas. Preference may be given to those who participated in Americorps, City Corps, City Year, Peace Corps, VISTA, Teach for America, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, or completed active military duty.
Martin J. Healy, Jr.
The John J. Piderit, S.J./Theodore G.: Awarded to admitted students chosen through an application process and who are interested in child and family law.

To apply for upper class awards, you must also submit an application through the Loyola Scholarship Connection. Additional materials, including but not limited to a letter of recommendation, may be required. The application opens each spring with a deadline of June 1.

Scholarships for LLM and MJ Degree Programs in the Rule of Law for Development (PROLAW)

Applicants to Loyola's LLM and MJ degree programs in the Rule of Law for Development (PROLAW) must complete an application to be considered for a Rule of Law Scholarship. To qualify for consideration, you must have successfully completed the admission process. The application requires you to provide:

A description of your financial need and merit (300 words max for each).
Reasons you should be considered for an award based on merit, including demonstrated interest and experience in rule of law and development matters.
Reasons you should be considered for an award based your unique financial needs.
Any additional documents to support your merit description.
Any additional documents to support your financial needs description.
Details of applications for additional external funding, as a demonstrated effort in applying for external funding is highly valued by the Scholarship Committee.

External Scholarship Opportunities

Several outside scholarship programs exist for JD students. Students are encouraged to conduct their own research to discover scholarships for which they qualify.

Here are some examples of external scholarship opportunities:

Ami Silverman Endowment Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) Fund: Provides summer stipends of up to $1,500 to public interest law students.
California Bar Foundation Public Interest Bar Exam Scholarship: Awarded to graduating law students embarking on public interest law careers to help pay the costs associated with taking the California Bar Exam. Candidates must demonstrate a strong commitment to public service, intend to pursue a public interest legal career after law school, and provide verification of financial need. All scholarship winners will receive a free Bar/Bri Law Review Bar Exam review course, with top winners also receiving a cash prize to help defray the fees and related expenses of taking the California Bar Exam.
ASLA-ALMA Joint Scholarship: ASLA (Association of Italian Law Firms) and ALMA (Italian LL.M. Association) jointly award two €5,000 scholarships per year to Italian law graduates seeking to pursue an LL.M.
BAKALA FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP: Financial support to highly-achieving Czech students looking to study abroad for an integrated bachelor's or master's program at a leading university abroad. or Canada.
White & Case Annual Business Law Scholarship: White & Case LLP awards an annual €40,000 scholarship (split among three students) to economically disadvantaged law students in France to study abroad.
Instituto Ling/EAGV-LLM: Offers partial scholarships to Brazilians who have been accepted to an LL.M. or Europe and can demonstrate a need for funding.

Financial Aid and Loans

In addition to scholarships, Loyola Law School encourages all students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The earliest you can submit the FAFSA is October 1st in the year prior to when you’ll receive aid. Loyola’s code is 001710. Shortly after submitting your FAFSA, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS). Please review this information carefully and correct any errors.

Loans can come from federal loan programs and private loans. You must complete the FAFSA form to determine the amount of federal loans available to you. Full-time students may also qualify for federal work-study, allowing them to earn money through campus and community-based employment.

Read also: Applying for Loyola Scholarships

Loyola University Chicago partners with AccessLex Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to offering financial education programming and resources that help students confidently manage their finances.

Specific Scholarship Listings

Loyola Scholarship Connection provides a comprehensive list of scholarship opportunities. You can view all scholarship opportunities by clicking “Ours” under “Opportunities.” This list shows all scholarships, not scholarships for which you are receiving consideration. Automatch scholarships will appear with “None” listed under the “Action” column - this means an additional application is not required for consideration. The “Deadline” column indicates the deadline to complete the application to receive consideration.

Examples of scholarships listed include:

Sarah E.
A. Alex J. Spadoni, MD and Patricia J.
Alexander J. Ghanayem, MD and Patrice E.
Alexander J.
Alice M. Scholarship for an undergraduate of member of Alpha Kappa Psi.
Alyce F.
Amanda K.
Angelo J.
Ann F. Ann Scott Blouin, RN, PhD, and Robert A.
Anna C.
Anna E.
Anna L. and Edward P.
Anthony L.
Antonio J.
Arlene A.

JD Admission Requirements and Application Process

The College of Law offers both civil law and common law curricula as well as four joint degree programs. Loyola Law only admits candidates to its JD program who appear capable of satisfactorily completing its program of legal education and being admitted to the bar.

The Faculty Admissions and Scholarship Committee reviews applications for admission on a rolling basis, taking a holistic approach. In addition to the LSAT and/or GRE score and undergraduate academic record, the Committee also considers a candidate’s graduate and/or professional school record if applicable; letters of recommendation; personal statement; resume; employment, leadership, and life experiences; extracurricular involvement; community service; military service; GRE or LSAT writing sample; and, character and fitness statements and/or other explanatory or supporting addenda, if applicable.

Read also: ACT Scores for Loyola

Loyola Law only enrolls first-year JD students in the fall semester. Transfer and transient students may apply for entry in any of Loyola’s three semesters. All applicants must register with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and the Credential Assembly Service (CAS).

Applications open October 15, 2025 for the 2026-2027 academic year and must be fully submitted to LSAC by July 1, 2026, Noon CDT. Applications for admission will not be accepted after the deadline has passed. Two recent letters of recommendation (dated no earlier than March 2024 for Fall 2026 Applications for Admission) are required.

Loyola College of Law requires the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores, including the Test of Written English and the Test of Spoken English, for applicants for which English is a foreign language.

Transfer and Advanced Standing Admission

Loyola welcomes applicants who wish to enroll at the College of Law after attending another law school, including foreign-educated attorneys. Applicants with prior law school experience must present evidence of successful academic study in their prior law record and have completed at least 15 credit hours at their current law school.

3+3 Accelerated Degree Program

In the 3+3 Accelerated Degree Program (or “3+3 Program”), Loyola University New Orleans undergraduate students may combine the last year of their undergraduate education with their first year of law school.

Joint Degree Programs

Applicants interested in earning Loyola Law’s joint JD/MBA must also apply to earn the MBA through the College of Business. The JD/MPA and the JD/MURP programs are in collaboration with the University of New Orleans (UNO). Applicants interested must be accepted by both the College of Law and UNO and complete all required coursework at both schools in order to graduate with a JD/MURP and JD/MPA.

Master’s Degree Programs Admissions Procedure

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law offers a Master of Arts in Environmental Law and Master of Arts in Health Law and Administration. Fall 2026 applications open October 15, 2025 and close on July 1, 2026. Applicants are encouraged to apply before the priority scholarship consideration deadline of March 1. Applicants are reviewed for scholarship consideration when they apply for their program of interest. There is no separate scholarship application.

LL.M. Program Admission

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law offers postgraduate legal studies opportunities for those with domestic or international law degrees. All LL.M applicants must utilize LSAC's LL.M Credential Assembly Service (LL.M CAS) to apply admission for admission to Loyola Law LL.M Program.

International Students

International LL.M candidates may take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test in lieu of the TOEFL. International students are required to obtain either an F-1 student visa or a J-1 exchange visitor visa in order to enroll at Loyola.

Important Information for All Students

All applicants and Loyola students are required to provide complete, correct, and truthful information on all university applications, forms, and correspondence.

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