Yale Law School plans to abolish tuition fees for low-income students starting this fall, which it hopes will spark a broader movement toward financial aid based on legal education needs. Over the next three years, the school will offer full scholarships to 45 to 50 Young Women students whose family income is below the federal poverty line (current annual income of $27,750) and whose assets are less than $150,000. Since Gerken unveiled the scholarship last spring, Stanford Law School has announced that it will also cover the full tuition of low-income students. Our financial aid premiums are based on a budget of tuition and fees, as well as grants for living expenses, books, etc. These budgets reflect our estimate of the cost of a moderate lifestyle in New Haven for the nine-month school year. Using a combination of loans and scholarships, we strive to provide students with the difference between their resources, such as family resources, summer income and student savings, and the cost of attending Yale. 76% of our Young Women students received some form of financial aid during the 2021-2022 academic year and 64% were eligible for law scholarships awarded solely on the basis of financial need. With a combination of loans and grants/bursaries, we strive to provide students with the difference between their resources (such as family resources, summer income, and student savings) and the cost of attending Yale Law School. The scholarship is awarded to all Juris Doctor students whose family income is below the federal poverty guidelines and whose assets are less than $150,000. The law school told ABC News that more than 45 students will receive more than $70,000 a year this fall to cover tuition, fees and health insurance. Gerken shared that the conversations that helped shape the program heavily involved students, alumni and faculty. More than a year ago, the law school voted to allow Gerken to make these changes to the school`s financial aid policy. Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken, the first woman to hold the position, told ABC News the scholarship was necessary.
“We have so many people from low-income backgrounds who don`t go to law school to follow the change because debt is waiting for them at the other end,” she said. This year, the federal poverty line is $27,750 for a family of four. The school says about 8% to 10% of current students are eligible for the award, which will be known as the Horizon Scholarship. In May, Stanford Law School announced it would abolish tuition fees for low-income students. Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Penn Law School does not provide needs-based financial aid, when in fact it offers both needs-based and performance-based assistance. The EP regrets this error. The Horizon Scholarship Program eliminates tuition fees for law students with family incomes below federal poverty guidelines and assets of less than $150,000, and provides them with full tuition and other fees. The scholarship is expected to begin in the fall of 2022 and is open to all students enrolled at the school at that time – including current first- and second-year law students – and all students who meet the criteria. The law school estimates that approximately 45 to 50 law students will be eligible for the program when it begins. Several students expressed enthusiasm for the policy, but noted that further changes are needed to improve fairness in the legal profession. “The Horizon Scholarship Program reflects the law school`s ongoing commitment to increasing support for our most needy students,” Miriam Ingber, associate dean of admissions and financial aid, wrote in an email to News.
Yale Law School recently announced a comprehensive scholarship that will support low-income law students. The scholarship was designed as a way to address current inequalities in equity and inclusion in U.S. law schools. The founding donors to the scholarship are Robert and Soledad LAW `92, who donated $20 million, alongside Patricia and David Nirenberg `75 LAW `78 and Carol and Gene Ludwig LAW `73. Olgun and Ali expressed excitement that other schools will follow in Yale`s footsteps in terms of equity and financial support. The bursary is awarded to Young Women students whose family income is below the federal poverty line and whose assets are less than $150,000. Fellows received $70,000 from the Faculty of Law in the 2022-2023 academic year, with recipients spread over their first, second and third years.