The school does not award scholarships that are conditional on law school academic performance; therefore we do not post an ABA conditional scholarship retention worksheet.
If a scholarship is offered, you will be notified of that award in your acceptance letter. If you receive a tuition remission from another source (internal or external), your Law School scholarship amount may be adjusted. Students who pursue a joint-degree program will have their scholarships prorated so that they pay the same amount of law school tuition that they would have paid for the three-year JD degree.
Partner schools, law firms, and nonprofit organizations
The Law School has partnered with more than two dozen colleges and universities around the country and with the US Army to offer partial and full scholarships, along with mentoring programs and research assistantships. You can learn more about these by visiting our scholarship partners page.
In addition to scholarship assistance students might be offered through admission, they may still need help covering the cost of attendance. Students should explore external scholarship opportunities to assist in funding their legal education. These scholarships are typically open to applicants regardless of where they attend law school. Search the term "external law school scholarships" or visit AccessLex's Law School Scholarship Databank to start your search.
Alternative Funding Options
Beyond scholarships, the IU Maurer School of Law offers students several other sources of funding, including fellowships and assistantships, funding for public interest positions, veteran’s assistance, federal loans, and private loans.
Fellowships and assistantships
Second- and third-year law students may apply for assistantships housed in other IU departments. These students generally work about 20 hours per week. Fee remission and departmental stipend amounts may vary. Typically, graduate assistants at IU also receive a health insurance benefit. It is up to the student to secure one of these positions.
In addition to assistantships, each year Law School faculty employ second- and third-year students to work with them on research projects for an hourly wage. Our Career Services Office also hires several students a year to assist them in their work. Lastly, Student Affairs, JD Admissions, and our Legal Writing Program enlist students to support them in their efforts, rewarding them with some additional funding.
Financial opportunities for students pursuing a public interest legal career
The Law School believes in supporting students who want to pursue a public interest career. The Kintner Public Interest Fellowship Program is designed to assist students financially who are working in unpaid summer public interest internships. The program also helps to fund the Rural Justice Initiative. Active members of the Public Interest Law Foundation can apply for special summer fellowships using funds raised by the organization, which are matched by the Law School.
During the academic year, law students have the opportunity to apply for work study funded positions with Indiana Legal Services and District 10 Pro-Bono Project, two local nonprofits that provide free legal assistance to needy recipients. Students who want to attend the annual Equal Justice Works Conference can also apply for small travel grants to assist with those expenses.
After a student graduates, we offer Bar Study Support Grants to assist public interest minded students financially while they are preparing to take the bar exam. After the bar exam, graduates also have the opportunity to participate in the Bridge to Practice program. Bridge to Practice Fellowships are available to eligible graduates who secure unpaid volunteer positions with public interest organizations or small firms while continuing their job search after graduation.
Opportunities for veterans
As a member or veteran of the US military, we are committed to supporting veterans (and their family) during their tenure at Indiana Law. In terms of financial support, beyond the Law School’s generous merit scholarship awards, Indiana University offers current and former members of our armed forces the following benefits:
- Resident tuition rates for veterans who have been honorably discharged and who are enrolling at IU within 12 months of separation from service;
- Veterans family support grants for veterans with children under age 18;
- Yellow ribbon grants to non-residents who are post-9/11–eligible at the 100% tier. Please call 812-856-1985 or email vetserv@iu.edu with any questions about yellow ribbon.
See the Veteran's education benefits page for additional information about the programs that are offered. Students receiving these benefits can also contact the law school's financial aid office for more information about how those awards might interact with law school funding.
Federal Student Aid
For law students, Federal Student Aid includes Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Federal Work Study. You can review the eligibility criteria for federal student aid here. To get started, you need to file the FAFSA.
Federal student loans
Eligible students can borrow up to $50,000 per year through the Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program.
Federal work-study program
While first-year students may only work limited hours during their first year in law school, second- and third-year students can apply for a limited number of federal work study positions offered by the Law School (see discussion above) and from other departments on campus.
Private Education Loans
Students who have a financial gap remaining after borrowing the maximum Direct Unsubsidized Loan or who are not eligible for federal student aid, may need to borrow private education loan. Some students may need to apply with a cosigner for credit approval or to receive better loan terms. The total of all aid received (scholarship, federal loan, private loan) cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance. Applications can be submitted on the lender's website. Lenders will transmit your loan request to the law school, who will then notify you when your loan has been certified. We begin certifying private loans in early summer.
