FINANCIAL AID

Determining Need for GW Need-Based Aid

Admittees to the J.D. program whose Profile and FAFSA data is received by the Law School will be considered for need-based aid beginning approximately March 1.

Continuing J.D. students will be considered once their loan applications, Profile and FAFSA data, and tax returns are 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 you 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. The data you provide on your FAFSA and Profile forms should be completed from as close an estimate of your tax information as possible.

Income tax and asset data from the tax year immediately preceding the academic year is expected from you, your spouse (if applicable), and your parents (if under age 30), 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 your Profile and FAFSA data alone. However, by the time you submit your materials to apply for federal loans, you will need to provide us with all the required tax returns; Law Financial Aid will compare these with your Profile and FAFSA and, if necessary, adjust your need analysis and financial aid decision.

The Law Financial Aid Office calculates your need by subtracting from the total cost of attendance for each year: your family contribution, the $20,500 Federal Stafford Loan, and any outside assistance, including GW Merit Scholarships, you expect to receive. The Law School assumes a reasonable contribution from you toward educational expenses from your savings, summer and/or school year jobs, and/or family.

Need is calculated by the basic formula:

	Academic year cost
less	Stafford loan ($20,500)
less	any outside aid (including GW merit scholarships)
less	Profile Estimated Family Contribution (EFC)
=	Unmet need

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 Stafford, Federal GradPlus, and/or other commercial educational loans.

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 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.