Scholarships
We offer a variety of need and merit-based scholarships to new and continuing students. In some cases, a part of the scholarship may take the form of an allowance to cover a portion of the cost of housing at Entrada.
There is no need for prospective students to submit a separate scholarship application. We will use only data already accessible in your law school application.
Scholarship funding is limited, and offers are made on a rolling basis as quickly after admission as possible. So we urge you to apply for admission as early as possible.
All scholarship recipients receive a detailed offer letter containing the terms of the award and any criteria for renewal. A general description of the law school’s scholarship programs appears below. However, the law school reserves the right to modify its scholarship policies at any time.
Dean’s Scholarships Awarded to Students upon Admission
The Dean’s Scholarship is a discretionary two-semester grant awarded to a student upon admission to the law school. It is based primarily on academic merit and the student’s performance prior to the time of matriculation.
The following rules will take effect for students who matriculate in the fall of 2012 or thereafter.
Students awarded a Dean’s Scholarship upon admission to the law school will retain their scholarship after the first year if the student (1) remains in good standing, and (2) remains in the top 25 percent of the student’s class ranking cohort each semester after completion of 2 semester of full time study.
Jefferson Scholarships Awarded to Students upon Admission
The Jefferson Scholarship is a discretionary two-semester grant that is awarded upon admission to meet the demonstrated financial needs of individuals from demographic groups that would otherwise be underrepresented in the legal profession.
The following rules will take effect for students who matriculate in the fall of 2012 or thereafter.
Students awarded a Jefferson Scholarship upon admission to the law school will retain their scholarship after the first year if the student (1) remains in good standing and (2) maintains a cumulative GPA of at least 2.4.
Post-Matriculation Merit Awards
Assuming the availability of funds, the school endeavors to (1) make merit awards to students who did not receive a scholarship upon admission, and (2) increase the awards of students who may have been admitted with a very small scholarship. These awards (and upward adjustments to existing scholarships) are generally made after a student has completed at least 2 semesters of study with at least 18 units earned, provided that the student’s grades place him or her in the top 20 percent of the student’s class ranking cohort. A student is ineligible for an award if the student is not in good standing.
For purposes of determining the amount of these post matriculation merit awards (and upward adjustments to existing scholarships), students are generally divided into two groups: (1) those who completed the semester within the top 10 percent of their class ranking cohort, and (2) those who completed the semester in the top 11 to 20 percent of their class ranking cohort. In each case, the school endeavors to award the student an amount that is commensurate with the amounts currently held by others in the student’s class ranking cohort.
A student who is awarded a post-matriculation merit award will keep the award in subsequent semesters as long as the student (1) remains in good standing, and (2) remains in the top 25 percent of his or her class ranking cohort.
If a student is not selected for a post-matriculation merit award, but believes that he or she is entitled to one, the student should submit a written request to the Director of Financial Aid explaining the factual basis for the student’s belief.
Post-Matriculation Emergency Grants
In order to accommodate a student’s unanticipated needs that arise after the student matriculates, the law school occasionally makes grants to students who are able to demonstrate an extraordinary financial need that cannot be satisfied in any other way. The school only makes these grants when there are funds available to do so. In addition, the school makes an effort to allocate the funds as equitably as possible, keeping in mind that each student’s situation is likely to be unique.
If student wants to receive an emergency grant, the student must submit a written application to the Director of Financial Aid. The application must consist of the following four items: (1) a narrative that explains why the grant is sought and needed, (2) an amount of the grant that the student is requesting, (3) a detailed monthly budget of expenses and resources, and (4) an itemized list of any other expenses not reflected in the monthly budget. The student should also submit any other item that the Financial Aid Office may require.
