Apply for JD Financial Aid

In order to be considered for financial aid, a law student must enroll in a specific degree program at the university and also complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

FAFSA applications can be obtained online at www.fafsa.ed.gov beginning in early January. Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for financial aid. Continuing law students currently receiving financial aid must reapply every year for financial aid by completing a FAFSA renewal application online.

The Title IV code for the USF School of Law is 001325 and must be listed on your FAFSA application. The priority deadline to submit your FAFSA application is February 15 for new admits and March 2 for continuing students. Law students may submit a FAFSA application after these dates, but priority consideration for all federal aid programs, is given to law students who submit a FAFSA application by these respective deadlines. Continuing students interested in receiving Federal Work Study funds are required to submit a FAFSA by March 2 (please note that Federal Work Study funding is not available to new first year students).

USF begins to send award notices to law students in early April. You are required to "accept" your financial aid in order to receive financial aid. Law students can accept their financial aid online through USF Connect account and should do so as soon as possible to insure prompt processing of your aid for the upcoming academic year. Click here for more information.

Financial aid is disbursed once each fall and spring semester in equal distributions. For example, if a student accepts a $10,000 scholarship, half of the total award will be disbursed in the fall and half in the spring.

Financial aid is typically disbursed one week before the start of formal classes. The disbursement date is not the date that students receive funds by check or in their bank account (if signed up for EFT direct deposit). The disbursement date is the earliest date that funds can be sent to the university from lenders on behalf of the students. Financial aid funds are actually received by the student two to 10 business days after the disbursement date, depending on the refund option the student selects.

 

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 New Changes in the Federal Direct Loan Program for the Fall 2012/Spring 2013 Academic Year

The Budget Control Act of 2011 was passed on August 2, 2011.  Some of the provisions in the act impact Federal student loan programs offered to students.  These changes WILL NOT affect the amount of loan funding available.  However, the cost and the type of loans will be affected.

Providing that the Federal government does not make additional changes, here are the key provisions affecting Federal graduate student loans beginning July 1, 2012:

1. Origination Fee Rates:  Federal Direct Stafford Loan borrowers will be charged a 1% origination fee for loan disbursed after July 1, 2012.  Graduate PLUS Loan borrowers will be charged a 4% origination fee for loans disbursed after July 1, 2012.  These origination fees were in place previously with Federal government rebates that reduced the fees at the time of disbursement.  These rebates will no longer be available.

2. Automatic Debit Loan Payment: Upon entering repayment, Federal Loan borrowers will no longer be eligible for a 0.25% interest rate reduction when making electronic automatic-debit loan payments.

3. Federal Direct Stafford Loan Eligibility for Graduate /Professional Borrowers:  Beginning July 1, 2012, graduate and professional school students will no longer be offered a federal subsidized graduate loan program.  The Federal Direct Stafford Loan program will become entirely unsubsidized for graduate and professional school students.  Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans begin to accrue interest upon disbursement at a fixed 6.8% rate.  These changes will not affect the annual and aggregate borrowing limits.  The maximum amount a graduate or professional student can borrow from this program will remain at $20,500 per academic year.