Can graduate students apply for FAFSA for law school specifically?

Yes, you can absolutely apply for FAFSA for law school! I'm currently in my second year of law school and I've used FAFSA both years. As a graduate student, you are automatically considered independent regardless of your parents' financial situation. This means your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation will only consider your income and assets, not your parents'. For law school specifically, you can qualify for Direct Unsubsidized Loans up to $20,500 per year and Graduate PLUS loans for the remaining cost of attendance. Unlike undergrad loans, there are no subsidized loans for graduate students, so interest accrues while you're in school. Make sure to check your law school's financial aid deadline - many require the FAFSA to be completed earlier than the federal deadline to be considered for institutional scholarships and grants.

u can do fafsa for ANY grad school but law school is $$$$$$$ so ur gonna need alot more than just fafsa. my sister went to law school and ended up with like 200k in debt even WITH fafsa. most ppl do private loans too

I did FAFSA for my MBA program last year. The process is basically the same as undergrad but you get different types of aid. I think the max federal loan is around $20k per year which isn't enough for most programs honestly. But yeah you're independent now so that helps if your parents made too much before.

As someone who works in financial aid at a university with a law school, I can provide some specific information: 1. Yes, you should complete the FAFSA for law school. The form is the same, but as others mentioned, you're automatically considered independent. 2. Law schools often have their own internal scholarships and grants that may require additional applications beyond FAFSA. 3. The federal loan limits for graduate students are: - Direct Unsubsidized: $20,500/year - Graduate PLUS loans: Up to the cost of attendance minus other aid 4. Some law schools also use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA for institutional aid. 5. File as early as possible - October 1st for the following academic year - as some aid is first-come, first-served. A key difference from undergrad: graduate students are not eligible for Pell Grants or subsidized loans, so all your federal loans will accrue interest during school.

To answer your follow-up question: You can list up to 10 schools on your FAFSA initially, and you can add more later. I'd recommend adding all the law schools you're applying to if you have 10 or fewer. If you have more than 10, add the ones with the earliest financial aid deadlines first. Regarding loan amounts - the $20,500 in Direct Unsubsidized is almost never enough for law school. Most students I know (including myself) take out Graduate PLUS loans to cover the remaining tuition and living expenses. At my school, the total cost of attendance is about $85,000 per year including living expenses, so that's a significant gap to fill. Also, don't forget that you'll need to complete a new FAFSA each year of law school.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet: many law students struggle to reach a human being at Federal Student Aid when they have questions about their graduate loans or encounter application issues. I waited on hold for over 3 hours last year trying to resolve a verification flag on my FAFSA! I recently discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an FSA agent in under 15 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ showing how it works. It seriously saved me hours of frustration when I needed to get information about my Graduate PLUS loan approval status last semester.

Another important point for law school specifically: pay very close attention to your school's academic progress requirements for maintaining financial aid eligibility. Law schools often have stricter GPA requirements than the federal SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress) standards, and losing aid eligibility due to academic performance can be financially devastating. Also, since you asked about documentation - the basic FAFSA requirements are the same, but if you're selected for verification, the process is somewhat simplified for independent students since parental information isn't included. You'll still need your tax information and may need to verify your independent status if flagged.

ur all forgeting to mention that the FAFSA deadline changes every yr so make sure u check!!! my friend missed it last yr and was screwed

As someone who just started the law school application process myself, this thread has been incredibly informative! I had no idea about the independent student status for grad school - that's actually a huge relief since my parents' income was always an issue for undergrad aid eligibility. One question I haven't seen addressed: do law schools typically send their own financial aid award letters separate from the federal aid, or does it all come together? I'm trying to figure out the timeline for when I'll actually know what my total aid package looks like at each school I'm accepted to. Also, for those who mentioned merit scholarships - are these typically offered at admission or do you have to apply separately? I'm trying to balance my time between LSAT prep and scholarship applications!

Just wanted to add something that really helped me during my law school application process - don't forget to look into work-study opportunities! Many law schools offer federal work-study positions that can help offset some costs, and some even have research assistant positions with professors that can provide valuable experience while earning money. Also, if you're considering public interest law, definitely research Income-Driven Repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness early. Understanding these programs before you take out loans can help you make more informed decisions about how much to borrow. The PSLF program forgives remaining federal loan balances after 120 qualifying payments while working for qualifying employers (government, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, etc.). One more tip: keep detailed records of all your financial aid documents and communications. You'll need to reference them throughout law school, and having everything organized will save you major headaches later when you're dealing with loan servicers or applying for bar exam loans.