Admitted applicants to the J.D. program whose FAFSA data is received by the Law School will be considered for GW need-based aid beginning approximately March 15.
Continuing J.D. students will be considered once their FAFSA data is received by the Law School, beginning approximately June 1.
Your completed financial aid documents will provide the Law Financial Aid Office with information needed to calculate your and your family's contribution to education from income and assets. A federally mandated formula adjusts the family contribution on the basis of family size and the number of family members attending college.
Income tax and asset data from the tax year immediately preceding the academic year should be provided on the FAFSA by you, your spouse (if married), and your parents (if you were born on or after January 1, 1982), and is used in the need calculation formula. In most cases, the Law Financial Aid Office will be able to make your need-based financial aid decision using the FAFSA alone. However, GW Law Financial Aid reserves the right to request your and/or your parents' federal tax returns, if necessary.
If actual tax data is not available, file the FAFSA using as close an estimate of your tax information as possible.
GW uses two separate EFCs (Estimated Family Contributions):
"FM EFC," the Federal Methodology version of the EFC, based on only your (and, if married, your spouse's) data, is provided by FAFSA for determination of your eligibility for federal loans. The EFC appears on your SAR (Student Aid Report).
"IM EFC," the Institutional Methodology EFC, is calculated by GW to determine eligibility for GW aid, using your, your parents' (and, if married, your spouse's) data.
Need for GW aid is calculated by the basic formula:
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Academic year cost
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less
>
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Federal Direct Stafford loan ($20,500)
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less >
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any outside aid (including GW merit scholarships)
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less >
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IM EFC
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= Unmet need
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The Law School meets a percentage of unmet need with its need-based funds. The remaining cost (including the EFC) may be met with the Federal Direct Stafford, Federal Direct GradPlus, and/or other commercial educational loans.
The Law School assumes a reasonable contribution from you toward educational expenses from your savings, summer and/or school year jobs, and/or family.
Financial need is reassessed annually, so you must reapply each year. Receiving aid in one award year does not necessarily indicate you will qualify in a different year. Not receiving aid one year does not preclude you from receiving aid in a subsequent year, if you qualify.
- Need-based GW tuition grants vary in amounts annually
- Students receiving need-based grants are required to borrow the full $20,500 Federal Direct Stafford loan
- GW tuition grants may be awarded only in the first three years of full-time, or first four years of part-time, study.