Students are assigned a financial aid counselor who will assist and guide them through the loan application process. Counselor assignments are as follows:
If your last name begins with: A-I, your counselor is:
Nancy LaMotta, 202.994.3437
If your last name begins with: J-R, your counselor is:
Darshani Don, 202.994.6087
If your last name begins with: S-Z, your counselor is:
Beth Amurao, 202.994.3417
Pay careful attention to all e-mail messages that you receive from GW Law, and be sure to let your financial aid counselor know of any changes in your e-mail address.
Applying for Need-Based Aid – Federal Direct and Private Loans; GW Need-Based Grants
The GW Law School Financial Aid Application for 2011-2012 [pdf] must be completed and submitted to the GW Law Financial Aid office by June 1, 2011. Complete the form, print it, and deliver, e-mail, or fax it to the Financial Aid Office (700 20th Street NW - lower level, fax: 202.994.3597, or finaid@law.gwu.edu).
If you were born on or after January 1, 1982, AND wish to be considered for GW Law Need-Based Grants, you must provide parental information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application, in addition to your own information (and spouse's, if married). Parental data is not used for federal loan eligibility purposes, only for GW Law institutional aid consideration.
If you were born prior to January 1, 1982, you need to provide only your (and spouse's, if married) information on your FAFSA.
If you are only requesting student loans, you need to provide your own (and spouse's, if married) information on your FAFSA.
Please note: If your file is selected by the Department of Education, at random, for federal verification (of income, citizenship status, of Selective Service registration, etc.), you will be required to provide additional documentation to the Law School Financial Aid Office. Your Student Aid Report (SAR) should show you any messages for the various verification "flags." The Law School Financial Aid Office reserves the right to request tax returns, if needed, for GW need-based aid purposes.
Students must make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward their law degree in order to receive federal and institutional aid. Please see the Law School Financial Aid Office's SAP policy for more information.
Tracking Your Progress
We encourage you to periodically check your financial aid file's status on GWeb to ensure that all items are complete.
Estimated Cost for J.D. program, 2011-2012
|
2011-2012 Nine-Month Academic Year Costs
|
Full-Time JD (minimum 12 credit hours per semester)
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Part-Time JD (20 credit hours during academic year)
|
|
Books and Supplies
|
$1,550
|
$1,180
|
|
Health Insurance
|
$1,800
|
$1,800
|
|
Loan Origination and Guarantee Fees
|
$1,400
|
$1,400
|
|
Personal Expenses
|
$3,200
|
$3,200
|
|
Room and Board
|
$18,500
|
$18,500
|
|
Transportation Allowance
|
$2,200
|
$2,200
|
|
Tuition and fees
|
$45,750
|
$32,170
|
|
Total
|
$74,400
|
$60,450
|
For planning purposes, you should expect an annual increase in tuition of at least $1,500.
Students studying with permission at another law school are charged a $35 continuous enrollment fee per semester. The cost of attendance provided by the host school is used by the GW Law Financial Aid Office to determine loan eligibility.
Required Course Load
J.D. students must be enrolled for at least 6 credit hours (half-time) in each semester for which they are requesting aid. Enrollment changes may result in financial aid changes. Please refer to enrollment chart below:
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J.D.
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Full-time
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Half-time
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Fall/Spring semesters
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12 or more credits
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6-11 credits
|
|
Summer semester
|
5 or more credits
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3-4 credits
|
We will notify you via Banner e-mail when your award is ready for review on GWeb. Once you view awards on GWeb, you will be able to accept, decline, or accept a reduced award, if desired.
From GWeb, you will be able to link directly, if necessary, to the government website for loan applications. Because GW began participating in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program as of 2010-2011, you probably have already signed federal direct MPNs (Master Promissory Notes) for Federal Direct Stafford and Federal Direct GradPLUS loans for 2010-2011; if so, you do not need to do sign them again. If you completed federal direct loan entrance counseling for enrollment at GW in 2010-2011, you do not need to do it again. You may review whether or not you have completed the required counseling and MPNs on the Student Loans website under the headings "My Loan Documents" and "View Previously Completed Counseling," where date/time stamps of each appear if already completed.
Notification of Funds
You will be notified by e-mail of the arrival of loan funds each semester. If you do not receive notification when you expect it, check your account on GWeb, or contact your Financial Aid counselor to check your status.
Student Account e-Refund of Excess Funds
Financial aid award funds are disbursed to your GW Law student account at the beginning of each semester. If the awards you have accepted exceed the amount owed on the GW Student Account e-Bill system per semester, you will receive a refund to assist with your external educational expenses, such as books, housing, meals, etc. To set up your direct deposit e-refund, register online through Student Account eBill.
Return and Refund Policies of Title IV Funds and Institutional Aid (including merit scholarships and GW Law need-based grants)
The Law School Financial Aid Office is required by regulation to calculate a Refund of Fees and a Return of Title IV Funds amount for all financial aid recipients who withdraw, are dismissed, or who take a Leave of Absence during a semester. The policy applies to financial aid recipients who discontinue enrollment in all classes, on or after the first day of the semester. The Return of Title IV Funds is the amount of unearned aid you received at the beginning of the semester that must be returned to the federal aid programs. Any aid received in excess of the earned amount is considered unearned. The earned portion is calculated on a daily basis using calendar days from the first day of instruction. The Law Financial Aid Office will also pro-rate or revoke institutional aid depending on the timing of a change in your enrollment status. Contact your financial aid counselor for more details.
Financial Aid Application Deadline: June 1
Applications will be considered in order by date of completion, and decisions will be subject to the availability of funds.
Note to Graduating Students
Costs associated with taking the bar exam, including application fees and summer living expenses, cannot be included in GW Law’s estimate of costs for the nine-month academic year. Creditworthy applicants may apply for a bar loan from participating lenders. Please check with your financial aid counselor for more details.
Note to Joint Degree Candidates
You must be taking law school courses in order to be eligible for GW Law School institutional need-based financial aid. The Law School Financial Aid Office will continue to process your loans, based on the tuition of the other GW division in which you are enrolled. However, if you register for one course at the Law School in a given semester, but take all your remaining credits for that semester within another division of GW, you will be charged the Law School tuition rate. Joint degree students are responsible for payment of all additional fees that may be charged by other schools at GW.
Summer Courses
Costs associated with taking a half-time or more course load in summer may be met with private loans or Federal Direct GradPlus Loans. Please work with your financial aid counselor to apply for summer funds.