Navigating Financial Aid and Scholarships at Suffolk Law School

Suffolk University Law School is dedicated to helping students finance their legal education through a comprehensive financial aid program. Recognizing that personal and family resources may not always cover the full cost, the school offers various avenues for assistance, including scholarships and grants that do not require repayment.

Financial Aid Overview

Financial Aid at Suffolk Law is designed to assist students in meeting the cost of a legal education when personal and family resources may not be sufficient. More than 70% of law students receive grant or scholarship funds from Suffolk University, and 94% receive some form of financial aid overall. To maximize your chances of receiving aid, it's crucial to apply as early as possible after January 1st each year and meet all deadlines. Student Financial Services offers walk-in service during normal business hours. Incoming 1L students are encouraged to sign up for the new MAX program by AccessLex Institute.

Key Considerations:

Early Application: Apply as early as possible after January 1st to meet all deadlines.
Notification of Additional Funding: Students who receive a scholarship, grant, employer tuition benefit, or other tuition assistance not included as part of their original aid award should note that it may affect their annual financial aid award.
Maximum Award Limit: Funds from any and all sources, including, but not limited to, Suffolk institutional scholarships, Suffolk endowed and named scholarships, outside scholarships, employer tuition benefits, and some veteran’s benefits may not exceed a student’s annual tuition charges.
Notification Requirement: Students who have been awarded funds from any and all sources, including, but not limited to, outside scholarships, employer tuition benefits, and some veteran’s benefits must notify the Office of Student Financial Services of this funding in writing.
Potential Reduction of Institutional Funds: Students who have been awarded funds from any and all sources, including, but not limited to, Suffolk endowed and named scholarships, outside scholarships, employer tuition benefits, and some veteran’s benefits and already have Suffolk Institutional funds may have the Suffolk institutional funds reduced or canceled to avoid an over (tuition) award.

Scholarship Opportunities at Suffolk Law

Suffolk University Law School awards scholarships that do not need to be repaid upon graduation. Students who file the required financial aid forms by the annual priority filing date will automatically receive consideration for the funds for which they are qualified. The funds from these awards are posted to students' tuition accounts each semester after the fourth week of classes. Please be sure to completely review the information on this and the following pages for specific details on each award type and eligibility criteria.

Merit-Based Scholarships

These scholarships recognize outstanding academic achievement and are awarded by the Admissions Committee.

Trustee Academic Scholarships: These merit-based funds are awarded by the Admissions Committee shortly after an applicant is admitted to the Law School. Recipients will be notified directly by the Office of Admissions. Scholarships are awarded to students based on outstanding academic achievement and do not have to be repaid. Award amounts vary but may not exceed the program standard annual tuition amount. Awards are for Suffolk Law School tuition only for new and continuing full-time, day or evening students. Awards may be used for fall and spring semester study. Students in the Accelerated JD Program may also be awarded these funds for study during the program’s required summer terms of study. Funds awarded annually by Suffolk University Law School are subject to the terms and conditions provided to the recipient by the institution at the time the award is made.
Law Dean's Scholarships: These merit-based funds are awarded by the Admissions Committee shortly after an applicant is admitted to the Law School. Recipients will be notified directly by the Office of Admissions. Scholarships are awarded to students based on outstanding academic achievement and do not have to be repaid. Award amounts vary. Awards are for Suffolk Law School tuition only for new and continuing full-time, day or evening students. Awards may only be used for fall and spring classes. Funds awarded annually by Suffolk University Law School are subject to the terms and conditions provided to the recipient by the institution at the time the award is made.
LLM Academic Scholarships: These merit-based funds are awarded by the Admissions Committee shortly after an applicant is admitted to the LLM program at the Law School. Recipients will be notified directly by the Office of Admissions. Scholarships are awarded to students based on outstanding academic achievement and do not have to be repaid. Award amounts vary but may not exceed program standard annual tuition amount. Awards are for Suffolk Law School tuition only for new and continuing full-time or part-time students. Scholarship awards are applied only to the duration to complete the required 24 program credits. Awards may only be used for fall and spring classes.
SJD Academic Scholarships: These merit-based funds are awarded by the Admissions Committee shortly after an applicant is admitted to the Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) program at the Law School. Recipients will be notified directly by the Office of Admissions. Scholarships are awarded to students based on outstanding academic achievement and do not have to be repaid. Award amounts vary but may not exceed program standard annual tuition amount. Awards are for Suffolk Law School tuition only for new and continuing full-time or part-time students. Scholarship awards are applied only to the duration to complete the required 24 program credits. Funding is not allocated to thesis writing years. Awards may only be used for fall and spring classes. Funds awarded annually by Suffolk University Law School are subject to the terms and conditions provided to the recipient by the institution at the time the award is made.

Academic Leadership Scholarships

These scholarships reward high academic performance in the first year of law school.

Academic Leadership Scholarships are awarded to students who are the top five students in each section for both Day and Evening Divisions as they are about to enter their second year. Students ranked first in their section receive a scholarship worth 50% of tuition; those ranked 2 through 5 receive a scholarship worth 25% of tuition. Academic Leadership Scholarships do not have to be repaid. Recipients must remain in the top 20% of their class to renew the scholarship. Awards are made each year in July. Awards are for Suffolk Law School tuition only for full-time, day or evening students.

First-Generation College Scholarship

Established in Fall 2021, this award provides scholarship funding of $20,000 per academic year for eligible students who are the first person in their family to graduate from college and have received their undergraduate degree from one of 25 designated undergraduate institutions. The scholarship recipients are chosen by the Admissions Committee and notified shortly after their admission. Students receiving the First-Generation College Scholarship are not eligible to receive the Trustee Academic Scholarship or Thaddeus A. Kitchener Scholarship. Awards are available for full-time, day or evening students and may be used for fall and spring semester study. Students in the Accelerated JD Program may also be awarded these funds for study during the programs required summer terms of study.

Suffolk University Black Alumni Network (SUBAN) Scholarship

The Suffolk University Black Alumni Network (SUBAN) Scholarship is funded by the generous donations of alumni and friends of the University with the goal of reducing the financial burden on talented Suffolk University students. The SUBAN Scholarship supports, each year, at least one student enrolled in each of the schools of the University (College of Arts & Sciences, Sawyer Business School, and Suffolk University Law School). Based on available funding and student eligibility, it is possible awards will be renewed for selected recipients in future years.

Thaddeus A. Kitchener Scholarship

Thaddeus A. veterans approved by the VA for participation in the program. Students eligible for Yellow Ribbon or other VA educational programs will not receive institutional scholarship funding above the cost of tuition, fees and book once VA eligibility has been determined. Award renewal is contingent on continued eligibility as determined by the VA.

External Scholarships

In addition to Suffolk Law's internal scholarships, students are encouraged to seek external funding opportunities from private organizations and foundations. These scholarships can significantly reduce the overall cost of attendance.

Federal Loans

Applicants seeking Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan funding aid are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Prospective LL.M. Students may apply for federal loans at any time throughout the fall and spring semesters, provided the student is enrolled at least half-time.

Returning students must complete the aid application process each year. To reapply for assistance, all required forms must be received by April 1st.
Students who require additional funding and plan to borrow a federal PLUS or private, credit-based loan should be sure to submit annual applications sufficiently in advance of semester billing dates to allowing for application and processing time and to ensure that certified loans will appear as pending credit on future semester billing statements.
Students can expect to receive similar financial aid awards each year if their financial situation remains relatively constant.
As all law students enrolled in the dual degree and LLM programs are charged tuition on a per credit basis, returning students should note that their aid budget and subsequent financial aid award will be based on an assumed equal number of credits enrolled for both the fall and spring semesters, i.e. Students applying for Summer Financial Aid Federal Loan funding are required to have all forms in the Office of Financial Aid by April 1st. Requests for summer loan funding will be processed beginning after March 1st, however a deposit may be required in order for the student to register for summer classes. Students who plan to borrow a federal PLUS or private, credit-based loan should be sure to submit applications sufficiently in advance of semester billing dates to allowing for application and processing time and to ensure that certified loans will appear as pending credit on future semester billing statements.
Please note: Borrower-based academic year loans (BBAY) are awarded to eligible students who enroll in the summer. As two terms represent an annual loan period, a BBAY loan includes the summer and fall terms as one loan period, with the spring term starting a new loan period.

Yellow Ribbon Program for Veterans

Suffolk University Law School is pleased to participate in the Yellow Ribbon program for Veterans and their family members.

Important Considerations and Resources

Summer/Winter Sessions and Study Abroad: If you are considering enrolling in summer/winter sessions or a university affiliated study abroad program, you should be aware that additional requirements for receiving aid may apply.
Right to Revise or Terminate: Please note: Suffolk University Law School reserves the right to revoke or revise a financial aid award at any time. We also reserve the right to revise or terminate any University or Law School funded program, discount, etc. Institutional merit-based scholarship funding is awarded to eligible applicants at the time of admission to the University.

Experiential Learning at Suffolk Law

Suffolk Law distinguishes itself through its commitment to experiential learning, offering students hands-on opportunities to develop practical legal skills.

Suffolk Law prepares graduates for the real world.
Suffolk University Law School values an inclusive community and supports diversity among our students, faculty, and staff.
Suffolk Law’s clinics are ranked 14th in the nation by US News & World Report's 2021 Best Law Schools. As part of Suffolk's robust experiential learning offerings, the in-house clinics provide students the opportunity to learn best practices in all aspects of client representation under the close supervision of our nationally ranked clinical law faculty. Each of the in-house clinics trains students to be practice-ready by teaching key legal skills in the context of a real world client/problem; asking students to consistently reflect on their performance; and documenting improvements in skills over time. This reflective process allows students to move from learning the law to doing the law and doing it well. By the end of the year, students in every clinic have interviewed and counseled clients, engaged in strategic decision making and advocated for their clients’ interests.
Students in their final year may extern full-time in either the fall or spring semester. Government, judicial and non-profit placements in Boston or Washington, D.C. The Semester in Practice program is a highly-selective, full-time externship program.
Experience the field of international legal practice through one of Suffolk's five dynamic and complementary programs--engaging in public interest and/or private sector practice with prominent organizations. This externship program is specifically for Suffolk University Law students participating in Suffolk’s summer study abroad program at the National University of Ireland at Galway seeking to pursue an externship in Ireland for a period of 6-8 weeks following the study abroad program. The externship placements will be predominantly in the public interest arena, including non-profits and government-related organizations. To the extent possible, our Galway affiliates will place students in organizations in Ireland corresponding with the students’ respective practice areas of interests noted on the application. Day students are eligible beginning in the summer after First Year. Students must take the two-credit Legal Process and Practice course concurrent with the externship or, in some cases, be supervised individually by a full-time faculty member. All legal work is performed under the supervision of a lawyer.
The Accelerator-to-Practice Program is the first of its kind comprehensive three-year course of study and practice designed to prepare graduates to join or start sustainable law practices serving average-income individuals and families.
The Legal Innovation and Technology (LIT) Lab is an experiential program combining the vision of our Legal Innovation and Technology Institute with the pedagogy and legal services mission of our Clinical Programs. The Lab allows students to work as part of a consultancy and research & development (R&D) shop focused on legal tech and data science work. Active areas of research involve, but are not limited to, the construction of expert systems/guided interviews (e.g., chatbots) and algorithmic codification of tacit knowledge (i.e., training computers to replicate human decisions). Lab students develop legal technology and data science solutions for organizational clients (e.g., legal aid organizations, courts, firms, and non-profits), helping them improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Technical Standards for J.D. Candidates

Suffolk University Law School strives to provide a legal education which ensures that its graduates are capable of functioning as competent and ethical practitioners who work professionally with clients, judges, attorneys, and others in the legal community. The technical standards, set forth below, outline the essential abilities and characteristics required for the completion of the J.D. degree. For purposes of this document, the term “candidate” means candidates for admission to the law school as well as enrolled law students who are candidates for graduation.

A candidate must be able to meet deadlines, keep scheduled appointments, and manage his/her time to satisfactorily complete all assignments and administrative tasks within the allotted timeframe.
A candidate must be able to communicate civilly and professionally with others in a candid and respectful manner by all forms of communication, including through electronic means and social media.
A candidate must be able to receive constructive feedback in a mature manner.
A candidate must be able to participate, be called upon, and answer questions in a classroom or other instructional setting.
A candidate must be able to communicate with members of the law school faculty and administration without the assistance and intervention of third parties.
A candidate must be able to follow directions, make reasonable inferences, and organize and synthesize information.
A candidate must possess the good judgment, honesty, integrity, and interpersonal skills required to work under stressful conditions and to work well with others.
A candidate must be able to tolerate and manage competing demands and workloads as mentally and emotionally taxing as are routinely found in the legal profession.
A candidate must have the ability to set goals, formulate a plan to accomplish those goals, and implement the plan over time.

Understanding the Cost of Attendance

Tuition & Fees (Doctorate)$59,730
The full-time program application fee at the Law School at Suffolk University is $60. The part-time program application fee at the Law School at Suffolk University is $60. Its tuition is full-time: $59,730 and part-time: $44,798. The student-faculty ratio is 10.6:1.

Application Information

The Law School at Suffolk University has an application deadline of April 1.

Read also: SCCC Bookstore Information

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