Applying for Financial Aid

Students must apply annually for financial assistance. All UDC-DCSL financial aid applicants must first submit the mandatory UDC-DCSL Financial Aid Application Form (to be found in the Forms section or the first page of the Financing Your Legal Education booklet).

GETTING STARTED

1. The Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA)

NOTE: UDC-DCSL's FAFSA Code is B08083

All UDC-DCSL financial aid applicants must complete the FAFSA. You may complete the FAFSA on line. It is very important that applicants list UDC-DCSL's FAFSA code -- B08083 -- on their FAFSA submission. If the code is not listed, your ISIR will not be transmitted to UDC-DCSL by the federal processor.

Note: Download a UDC-DCSL Federal Stafford Loan Fact Sheet (.pdf).

Deadline for priority consideration: March 31 (Late admits: within 45 days of acceptance).

2. Master Promissory Note (MPN)

UDC-DCSL has three preferred lenders. The first time you borrow a federal Stafford loan at UDC-DCSL, you must complete a Master Promissory Note. You may complete the MPN on-line at the website of your lender. To expedite processing, please complete and e-sign your MPN on-line:

If you choose to borrow a federal Stafford loan from a lender other than the preferred lenders listed above, please complete and submit the following forms to the Office of Financial Aid:

These forms may be downloaded under Forms.

Deadline for priority consideration: March 31 (Late admits: within 45 days of acceptance).

OFFICE OF FINANCIAL AID REQUIREMENTS

Students applying for a Federal Stafford Loan and/or Work-Study are responsible for submission of the following information to the UDC-DCSL Office of Financial Aid:

UDC-DCSL Financial Aid Application Form: See Forms.

Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR): An ISIR is the analysis of the information a student submits on the FAFSA form. It is electronically transmitted to the school from the federal processor, who also forwards a Student Aid Report (SAR) containing the same information as the ISIR to the student.

Master Promissory Note (MPN): Must be completed by all students applying for the Federal Stafford Loan for the first time. To expedite processing of your Federal Stafford Loans, please complete and e-sign your MPN on-line.

APPLYING FOR NEED BASED INSTITUTIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS

In addition to the above items, applicants for need based and contribution potential scholarships are required to complete the NEED ACCESS Scholarship Application available on-line from the Access Group.

The Need Access application is required ONLY if you are applying for need-based scholarships. The deadline for completing the Need Access application is March 31 (Late admits: within 45 days after acceptance).

NOTE: Applicants aged 30 and younger must complete the parent information section of the application, unless they receive a waiver from the Office of Financial Aid as described below.

Applying for Waiver of Need Access Parent Information Requirement for Independent Students Age 30 and Younger

To apply for institutional aid as an independent student, you must apply for exception to the parental information requirement. Documentation that parents cannot or will not provide financial assistance should be forwarded to the UDC-DCSL Office of Financial Aid. DO NOT FORWARD THE DOCUMENTATION TO NEED ACCESS. The following are some examples of documentation:

Copy of first page of BOTH parents' tax return(s) for the previous calendar year;
Notarized statement signed by both parents, indicating that you are not a dependent and will not be claimed by them in the future;
Statement, signed by both parents, indicating the amount of support, if any, they plan to provide towards your education during the upcoming academic year;
Further documentation of independent status, such as:

documentation that your parents have not claimed you as a dependent in previous years,
documentation that you have been and are living away from your parents and have been supporting yourself for a number of years,
other compelling documentation that your parents are either unable or unwilling to provide financial support.

NOTE: Please provide as much documentation as possible to prove that you are in fact independent. One item (such as copy of parents' tax return showing that you are not claimed by them) may not be enough to prove your case.

APPLYING FOR WORK-STUDY

Work-study awards are not included in students' initial Financial Aid award notifications. Instead, students may sign up for Work-Study in the Office of Financial Aid during the month of September. Once they have been placed in jobs and completed the proper paperwork to be entered on the payroll, work-study students may begin working October 1.

First-year students are limited to participation in the on-campus Institutional Work-Study (IWS) program. Work-study students submit bi-weekly timesheets to the law school and are paid bi-weekly.

Preliminary work-study awards are the lesser of $2,000 or the amount of the student's unmet financial need after all other aid has been subtracted from his/her net financial need. As students deplete their work-study awards, they may be increased.

APPLYING FOR MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS

Entering Students: No application is required for the first-year Merit Scholarships Listed below. The awards are based on the information in the application for admission.

The Mason Civil Rights Scholar Awards
Legal Scholar Awards
Raymond F. Hossfeld Endowed Scholarship
Bristle Cone Pine Foundation Activist Scholarships
Beechtree Foundation Scholarship
Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Joseph L. Rauh Scholarship

Continuing Students: No application is required for:

Dean's Fellows
Institution Builder Scholarship
Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Joseph L. Rauh Scholarship

Continuing Student Merit Scholarships: The Merit Scholarships application (.pdf) is distributed in January with students' financial aid packages. Applications, including all required documentation are due on or before March 31.

Bar Scholarships: The Academic Dean distributes applications for the Bar Scholarship and makes the awards directly to students.

David C. Niblack Scholarship: Awarded to third-year student with demonstrated financial need and commitment to a career in criminal/public defense. Applications will be distributed to third-year students in the fall semester.