LMU is committed to providing students access to quality student loans and participates in the Federal Direct Student Loan Program provided by the U.S. Department of Education. There are a variety of loans available to qualified graduate, professional, and law students.
Because loans must be repaid, it is important that students understand the terms and conditions associated with each loan program before deciding to borrow. Federal loans require students to complete Entrance Loan Counseling, and a Master Promissory Note (MPN) prior to receiving loan funds.
Remember to never borrow more than you need, and to carefully review all documents that you receive from your lender, especially the disclosure statement that you will receive after your loan payments disburse.
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Applicants applying to the JD program are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships by the Office of Admissions during the admissions process. Scholarship awards range from partial tuition to full-tuition scholarships, which include mandatory fees and a stipend for books. Applicants interested in scholarships should submit their admissions application on or before the admissions application priority deadline. Students who have been selected for a scholarship will be notified by the Office of Admissions.
Scholarship requirements differ by type of award. Students should refer to the Additional Financial Aid & Scholarship Information document that was sent with their scholarship letter for the renewal criteria for their award. If a student does not meet the renewal criteria, the scholarship will not be renewed in any subsequent year even if the GPA requirement is met.
Loyola-specific program scholarships
Fritz. B. Burns Scholarships
Generously funded by the Fritz B. Burns Foundation in order to attract students of high achievement and great potential for outstanding leadership positions in the legal community. Scholarships are awarded to the most outstanding entering students for both the Day and Evening Division. Tuition, all fees, and a stipend for books are included. This scholarship can be renewed.
The Public Interest Scholars Program (PISP)
Designed for law students who are committed to practicing in the field of public interest law, the PISP includes specialized externships and paid summer jobs in public interest law. The scholarship amount varies and is renewable annually. To be considered for this award, applicants must submit an additional one-page addendum with their application materials. Learn more about The Public Interest Scholars Program (PISP).
Dean's Scholarships
Awarded to several outstanding students upon entrance, the Dean's scholarship includes tuition, mandatory fees, and a stipend. This scholarship can be renewed.
Loyola Scholarships
Loyola scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement as well as a diversity of backgrounds and experiences. These are partial scholarships. Some awards may be renewable.
Law School Graduate and Other Degree Scholarships
Applicants applying to the LLM for FTA, Tax LLM, MLS, MT, and JSD Program are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships by the Office of Admissions during the evaluation process. No separate application is required. Students selected for a scholarship will be notified by the Office of Admissions.
Graduate Tax Scholars
Loyola Law School offers up to three full-tuition Graduate Tax Scholarships each year to full-time candidates for the Tax LLM degree. Graduate tax scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit to applicants who present outstanding academic records and show exceptional promise.
In addition to other required courses, Graduate Tax Scholars are expected to complete the Program’s course in Tax Policy and prepare and present an Honors Tax Research paper with a view to possible submission to the Tannenwald Tax Writing Competition.
Graduate Tax Scholarships are limited to applicants who have earned a J.D. degree at an ABA-AALS approved law school in the United States and who matriculate as full-time, 24-unit students.
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The primary source of funding for LMU Loyola Law School students is federal loans. Federal student loans are available to most students regardless of income and provide a range of repayment options, including income-based repayment plans and loan forgiveness benefits, which other education loans are not required to provide.
To apply for a Federal Direct Loan, you must first complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, be enrolled at least half-time, be enrolled in an eligible program, and maintain satisfactory academic progress.
Eligibility
You must be enrolled at least half-time, in a graduate or professional program and must meet all of the other general eligibility requirements for the Federal Student Aid programs.
Below are the minimum number of units that you must be enrolled in to be eligible for Federal loan disbursement.
Program
1/2 TIME
Juris Doctor (Day) 6 Juris Doctor (Evening) 4 Law Graduate Level 4 Master of Law (FTA) 6 Doctor of Juridical Science 4 Master of Laws Taxation 4 Interest Rates and Loan Fees
The Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 sets the annual interest rate on Direct Unsubsidized Loans issued to graduate or professional students at the rate on high-yield 10-year Treasury notes plus 3.6%, but caps that rate at 9.5%. As a result, rates are expected to change annually. Students that borrow the Direct Unsubsidized Loan over multiple years will have a set of fixed-rate loans, each with a different interest rate.
- The interest rate is fixed at 7.05% for loans disbursed after July 1, 2023, but before July 1, 2024.
- The origination fee is 1.057% (deducted from loan proceeds) for loans disbursed on or after October 1, 2020, but before October 1, 2023.
- Origination fees change annually based on the U.S. 10-year Treasury bill.
- Students accrue interest while in school but are not required to make payments until six months after graduating or dropping below half-time status.
Borrowing Limits
- The annual maximum is $20,500.
- The lifetime aggregate is $138,500.
Next Steps after Accepting my Loan Offer
After accepting your Federal Direct Loan(s) in PROWL, you must complete the following requirements through Federal Student Aid:
- Entrance Counseling-For first-time borrowers only
- Master Promissory Note-Master Promissory Note (MPN) for Graduate/Professional Students (Please note that if you accept the Federal Direct Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS Loan, you are required to complete an MPN for each loan)
* * You may find the MPN under the “Checklist” or “Complete Aid Process” sections of your Account Dashboard
We will report information about your loan to nationwide consumer reporting agencies (credit bureaus) and the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) on a regular basis. This information will include the disbursement dates, amount, and repayment status of your loan (for example, whether you are current or delinquent in making payments). If you default on a loan, we will report this to nationwide consumer reporting agencies. Your loan will be identified as an education loan. Schools may access information in NSLDS for specific purposes that we authorize.
Receipt of Loan Funds
When all loan requirements are complete, funds arrive via Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) and are applied directly to your LMU student account in two even disbursements. The first disbursement in the fall semester and the second disbursement in the spring semester.
Repayment
Repayment on this loan will begin after your grace period, 6 months after you graduate, or cease to be enrolled at least half-time. You have 10 years to pay the loan back. Various repayment options are available and the loan period can be extended, if needed via consolidation. There is no prepayment penalty, so you can pay the loan earlier if you wish.
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The U.S. Department of Education administers a loan program for students called the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan. Graduate, professional, and law students in an eligible program can borrow a Direct PLUS Loan to help pay education expenses if enrolled at least half-time. Students who apply for the Graduate PLUS loan must be credit eligible.
Eligibility
You must be enrolled at least half-time, in a graduate or professional program and must meet all of the other general eligibility requirements for the Federal Student Aid programs.
Below are the minimum number of units that you must be enrolled in to be eligible for Federal loan disbursement.
Program
1/2 TIME
Juris Doctor (Day) 6 Juris Doctor (Evening) 4 Law Graduate Level 4 Master of Law (FTA) 6 Doctor of Juridical Science 4 Master of Laws Taxation 4 Adverse Credit History
Credit history is a major factor in being approved for this loan. To qualify for a PLUS loan, you cannot have an adverse credit history. Credit history is a summary of your financial strength, including your history of paying bills and your ability to repay future loans. Your credit history may be considered adverse if you are experiencing any of the following credit conditions:
- Bankruptcy discharge within the past five years.
- Voluntary surrender of personal property to avoid repossession within the last five years.
- Repossession of collateral within the last five years.
- Foreclosure proceedings started.
- Foreclosure within the last five years.
- Conveying your real property that is subject to a mortgage (by deed) to your lender to avoid foreclosure (deed instead of foreclosure).
- Accounts currently 90 days or more delinquent.
- Unpaid collection accounts.
- Charge-offs/write-offs of federal student loans.
- Wage garnishment within the last five years.
- Defaulting on a loan, even if the claim has been paid.
- Lease or contract terminated by default.
- County/state/federal tax lien within the past five years.
- To review your credit history, we strongly recommend that you obtain credit reports by contacting:
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of these agencies to provide you, at your request, with a free copy of your credit report once every twelve (12) months. Please visit annualcreditreport.com or Federal Trade Commission - Consumer Information for further guidance.
Borrowing Limits, Interest Rate, and Loan Fees
The annual limit on a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan is equal to your Estimated Cost of Attendance minus any other financial aid you receive. For example, if your cost of attendance is $10,000, and you receive $6,000 in other financial aid, you can borrow up to $4,000.
- The annual maximum is the COA minus any other financial aid received.
- The interest rate is fixed at 8.05% for loans disbursed after July 1, 2023, but before July 1, 2024.
- The origination fee is 4.228% (deducted from loan proceeds) for loans disbursed on or after October 1, 2020, but before October 1, 2023.
- Origination fees change annually based on the U.S. 10-year Treasury bill.
- Students accrue interest while in school but are not required to make payments until six months after graduating or dropping below half-time status.
How to Apply
- Step 1: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov
* To electronically sign your form, you will need an FSA ID. If you do not have an FSA ID, you may create one here: Create an FSA ID.
- Step 2: Federal loan eligibility is automatically placed on your financial aid award up to the Cost of Attendance.
- Step 3: Take action on the Federal Direct Loan amount you wish to receive by logging in to PROWL.
- Step 4: Go to studentaid.gov. Sign in using your FSA ID. In your Account Dashboard, select “Complete Loan Agreement (Master Promissory Note)” or MPN. In the MPN screen select “PLUS MPN for Graduate/Professional Students”.
Receipt of Loan Funds
When all loan requirements are complete, funds arrive via Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) and are applied directly to your LMU student account in two even disbursements. The first disbursement in the fall semester and the second disbursement in the spring semester.
We will report information about your loan to nationwide consumer reporting agencies (credit bureaus) and the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) on a regular basis. This information will include the disbursement dates, amount, and repayment status of your loan (for example, whether you are current or delinquent in making payments). If you default on a loan, we will report this to nationwide consumer reporting agencies. Your loan will be identified as an education loan. Schools may access information in NSLDS for specific purposes that we authorize.
Repayment
You have the option of beginning repayment on the PLUS loan either 60 days after the loan is fully disbursed or to begin repayment six months after you graduate or cease to be enrolled in at least a half-time basis.
Options Following A Grad PLUS Loan Denial
If you are denied a graduate PLUS loan you can attempt to secure funding through one of the options detailed below, even though you have received a PLUS denial.
Step one: Seek a Credit Appeal
The Department of Education allows borrowers whose credit was denied the opportunity to document either of the following situations.
- Information showing that credit reporting used in the credit denial is incorrect and/or has been corrected.
- Extenuating circumstances exist relating to the adverse credit history of the primary PLUS borrower.
Borrowers make a credit appeal through one of these means.
- Log in to studentaid.gov and select "Document Extenuating Circumstances" on the left navigation bar. Follow the directions and a representative from the Department of Education’s Applicant Services will contact the borrower with further instructions.
- Contact Applicant Services at 1-800-557-7394 between 8a to 8p, Monday through Friday.
Step two: Utilize an Endorser
An endorser is someone who will pass the credit check and who agrees, similar to a co-signer, to repay the PLUS Loan if the student borrower is unable to do so. Almost anyone can serve as an endorser.
If you choose to obtain an endorser, the endorser should complete the endorser addendum at studentaid.gov. The endorser will need the Loan Identification Number to connect the endorsement to the denied Grad PLUS Loan. The Loan Identification Number is located on studentloans.gov after you log in to your account. Completing the endorsement online also requires a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) that utilizes a username and password.
- In addition to the studentloans.gov "My Home Page", the Loan/Award Identification Number can also be obtained by contacting the LMU Financial Aid office.
- If the endorser does not already have an FSA ID, they may create one at fsaid.ed.gov.
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All loan borrowers are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Although a student may be approved by their lender to borrow an alternative loan, LMU Financial Aid will not certify or disburse any loan funds until they complete Alternative Loan Counseling. LMU Financial Aid does not prefer, recommend, promote, endorse, or suggest any lenders. LMU Financial Aid will process loans from any eligible lender that a student selects.
Alternative Loans
Alternative loans* are credit-based loans offered by a variety of third-party lenders. These loans are borrowed by the student and require the student to have a satisfactory credit history or a creditworthy co-borrower.
Students may borrow up to their LMU cost of attendance, minus any other financial aid they receive. Loan fees, interest rates, and repayment terms vary by lender, so please review all application information very carefully.
Alternative Loan Application Process
1. How to Apply
- Go to our Alternative Loan Portal to compare and select the best loan for your situation.
- Complete the Self-certification form provided by the lender.
2. Get a Cosigner
- Do you need a cosigner?
- Discuss Loan details with your cosigner.
- Complete the application together.
3. Alternative Loan counseling
- Monitor your PROWL account via MyLMU.
- Complete Alternative Loan Counseling form with help of the Disclosure and Solicitation form.
- Submit to Secure Document Upload.
4. Certification and Disbursement
- Financial Aid notifies the lender of the approved loan amount in 3-5 business days.
- Once certified, the loan will disburse in 10-15 business days.
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Federal Work-Study and Institutional Work are available to LMU Loyola Law School (LLS) upper-division students. Per institutional policy, first-year law students are eligible for summer employment after the completion of their first year (applicable to both day and evening students).
Employment through these programs is restricted to on-campus jobs during the academic year.
To be considered for either work program, students must complete and submit the following applications/documents by the appropriate deadline:
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA)
- Request work-study via the Financial Aid Revision Request Form.
Employment opportunities may involve work as a research assistant to faculty members, assisting in the William M. Rains Library, or assisting in one of LLS's administrative offices.
A listing of available on-campus positions will be included with the work-study contract from LLS. A work-study contract does not guarantee a job, because there are a large number of students competing for a limited number of approved positions.
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Bar exam loans are private, credit-based student loans designed to assist graduating law students in their efforts to finance bar exam-related expenses such as exam fees, bar application fees, and living expenses. Unlike regular student loans, bar loan disbursements are mailed directly to the borrower. Interest rates are typically variable and can range anywhere between 3.25% APR and 14.00% APR. Bar exam loans are not eligible for Income-Based Repayment or Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
Eligibility
- You may apply for a loan if you are enrolled at least half-time in your final year of study at an ABA-accredited law school, or have graduated recently from one. (Depending on the lender, this can be anywhere between 30 days, 6 months, or 12 months.)
- You must be sitting for the bar exam no later than 12 months after graduation.
- You must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident or an international student borrower applying with a creditworthy cosigner who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- You must meet the current credit and other eligibility criteria.
Available Lenders
Loyola Law School does not prefer, recommend, promote, endorse, or suggest any of these lenders. The use of a lender from this list is not required and Loyola Law School will process loans from any eligible lender that a student selects for a Bar Exam Loan.
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The Financial Aid Office is excited to introduce Scholarship Universe, a new easy to use personalized process that makes finding and applying for external scholarships easier.
What is Scholarship Universe?
Scholarship Universe is a matching system that maximizes scholarship opportunities for students. Scholarship Universe allows students to create an academic profile that enables them to be connected with various outside scholarship opportunities that match their criteria.
How does Scholarship Universe Work?
- Students answer questions that get them matched to scholarship opportunities they are eligible for.
- Students easily apply online to multiple scholarship opportunities through a personalized portal.
- Students can track their application status online via the portal.
- Students are alerted whenever they are matched to a new scholarship opportunity.
- Students receive automated reminders about pending tasks and next steps.
How do I use Scholarship Universe?
- Click the “Login” button at the top of this page.
- Enter your LMU ID and password to log in.
- Answer as many questions as you can in order to build your profile and match you to eligible scholarships.
- Click on the “Scholarships” tab and start applying!
Be sure to update your profile frequently. Information such as GPA, number of units taken, class standing, major, minor, etc. will affect scholarship eligibility.
Please email us if you have any questions.