While summer enrollment options are limited, law students do have the option to enroll in either externship credits or in a small number of regular course offerings during the summer. In some cases, the Law School will remit the tuition rate of non-resident students to the resident student rate. Regular merit-based awards are not available for summer study.
To be eligible for federal student loans during the summer, students must be enrolled at least half-time. At IU Bloomington, graduate and professional students are considered half-time if they are enrolled in four credits. Students who do not plan on enrolling in four summer credits and who still need funds should consider extending their academic-year aid before the end-of-year loan processing deadline.
If a student plans to borrow private loans for the summer, they should check with their lender about possible enrollment restrictions and notify the financial aid office after they submit their loan application.
After a student has registered in their summer courses, they should submit a completed summer aid application to the Law School’s financial aid office. These forms are typically emailed to students in early March prior to summer registration. Students who have exhausted their direct unsubsidized loan eligibility will also need to submit a summer Graduate PLUS Loan application.
If a student plans to enroll in a summer overseas program that is sponsored by a US law school, they will need to complete a financial aid consortium agreement in order to be considered for federal student loans. For more information about these programs, please see our summer study abroad page. Students may contact the financial aid office to request the consortium agreement form.
Students who plan to visit another law school during the summer should discuss their plans with the dean of students prior to enrolling. If approved, students may be eligible to receive federal loans during the summer. The student will need to complete a consortium agreement so that the financial aid office can review their aid eligibility.