Attending law school is a significant financial investment in your future. Maine Law’s reasonable tuition, represents one of the best law school values in the country, whether you are a resident or a non-resident of Maine. Even so, understanding the costs associated with a legal education and learning about financial options is critical.
Most students do not have immediate access to the resources to pay for their law school education. Federal and private student loans, scholarships, and employment – or some combination thereof – will likely be an integral component of your funding strategy.
Scholarships
Over half of Maine Law students receive unconditional scholarships. Students need only remain in good academic standing to retain their scholarship award.
All applicants to Maine Law are considered for merit scholarship, no separate application is required. Merit-based scholarships can only be applied to tuition.
Financial Aid
Federal Financial aid for students at Maine Law is administered through the Financial Aid Office of the University of Southern Maine (USM). The USM Financial Aid Office offers federal financial aid to students in the form of federal direct student loans and federal work-study funds. In addition, private loans (alternative loans) are also available.
FAFSA
If you wish to be considered for federal direct student loans or federal work study funds, please submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 15. Do not wait for an admission decision to fill out your FAFSA! This will enable us to determine eligibility before the first non-refundable tuition deposit is due.
To complete FAFSA:
To apply for financial aid, applicants must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA can be filed electronically by visiting the FAFSA website. Detailed instructions for completing the FAFSA are available at the web site. Students should fill out a FAFSA to apply for financial aid for each academic year.
Applicants to the University of Maine School of Law must use the University of Southern Maine school code number 009762 on the FAFSA.
Financial Literacy
Maine Law works closely with AccessLex Institute, a non-profit organization committed to the financial education and advising of law students, to make available a variety of financial education programming and individual financial counseling.
The following AccessLex services are available to prospective law students:
- AccessConnex by AccessLex program: Schedule an individual counseling session on personal finance or loan repayment strategies focused on your specific needs.
- AccessLex Scholarship Databank: We encourage any student seeking additional funding options to peruse the Scholarship Databank of more than 800 (vetted) scholarship opportunities and writing competitions for law students. Many of our students have successfully utilized this resource over the years to help cover the costs of law school
- AccessLex Webinars and Workshops
- AccessLex Student Loan Calculator