Your search for grant funding for law school should begin with filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid ("FAFSA"), as federal and state governments, in addition to your law school, will use this to determine any financial aid awarded to you—including grant funding. The first step of this process is to obtain a Federal Student Aid ("FSA") ID. The process to obtain one is quite simple:Visit the Federal Student Aid website.Provide your e-mail address and choose a unique username and password.
Enter any required personal information (name, social-security number, address, etc.)
Confirm and submit.
The Social Security Administration will then review your information and, assuming everything checks out, send you an e-mail indicating you can use your new FSA ID. This process takes between one and three days.
This ID consists of both a username and a password that is used by the U.S. Department of Education to verify your identity when applying for federal aid.;
, While the information needed to complete the FAFSA will vary depending on your particular situation (country of citizenship, dependent status, etc.), try to gather at least the following before beginning the process, as this will make filling out this rather complex form much more manageable:Your social-security number and driver's license number.
Your most recent tax return.
Information relating to how much money you have (bank-account balances, list of investments, real estate, business assets, etc.).
 Once you have your FSA ID and have collected the information you will need to apply, navigate to the FAFSA websiteand click on the button to "Start a New FAFSA." Follow the on-screen directions and enter your basic personal information (name, social-security number, etc.).


You can save your application and resume it later if you don't wish to complete it in one sitting.
Since you will be entering a lot of personal/sensitive information, you can use the "virtual keyboard" option for added security.
 The next step in the process is to let the federal government know which schools will be receiving information regarding your federal aid determination. The law schools you have selected will use the information sent by the federal government after it processes your FAFSA to calculate the financial-aid package they will offer you. You can list up to ten schools in the online application.While the order in which you list the schools does not matter for federal purposes, some states require you to list state schools you may attend first if wish to be considered for state aid.
If you don't want the schools on the list to see the other schools you have indicated on the FAFSA for some reason, you can complete the FAFSA for one school, wait until the application is processed, go back and delete that school, and then add another.Repeat as necessary.
 As you are completing the FAFSA, the application will ask you several questions aimed at determining whether you are an independent or dependent student (i.e., do your parents or someone else claim you as a dependent on their tax returns).


If you are classified as dependent, you must provide information relating to your parents' financial situation in addition to your own.
 Before making you an offer of financial aid, the federal government needs to know your financial situation to see if you qualify for need-based aid. In addition to personal finances (such as bank-account balances or other assets), you will need to provide information from the federal-income-tax return for the year prior to the academic year for which you are applying for aid.If you haven't filed the relevant tax return yet, you are allowed to estimate the necessary information while filling out the FAFSA.
 After you have completed the application, verify the information you have provided for accuracy and, when you are satisfied, use your FSA ID to electronically sign and submit the FAFSA for processing.


The federal deadline for submitting your FAFSA is June 30 for each academic year.Also pay attention to relevant state deadlines, along with those of your chosen schools, as they might differ from the federal deadline.
In any case, it is best to complete this process as soon as possible.
 Your best source for obtaining grants will be the law school that you plan to attend.Each school offers its own grant programs, and the best place to find out information relating to these programs is the law school's financial aid office.


You can likely find information relating to particular grants on the website of your law school's financial-aid office, but it is probably best to actually call and speak with someone in that office to get an idea of which grants your school offers and the ones for which you may qualify.
Check for the office's phone number on its website.
 Some states offer grants for students who meet certain criteria, such as attending a particular state school or being a resident of that state.The best way to find out what opportunities may be available from either your state or the state in which you plan to go to law school is to contact your state's higher-education agency. Contact information for each of these state agencies is available online., There are a great deal of private organizations that offer grants for prospective law students, awarded based on anything from past academic performance, to intended career path after law school, to qualifying minority or military status.While you will likely have to spend a good amount of time searching online for grants that may be applicable to you, start with the websites of the American Bar Associationin additional to your local or state bar association. Not only will these associations offer grants themselves, their websites are a great source of information relating to this process as a whole.
There are also websites that allow an applicant to search for law-school grants based on specified criteria, such as background experience, future career path, or state of residence., Certain law firms also offer grants to prospective law students, and usually require that the grantee work for that firm during the school year or during summers.Try checking the web pages for firms in your area or the area in which you hope to practice to see if they offer this type of grant. You can also try calling these firms using the contact information on their websites.
 After you have completed the FAFSA and your law school has sent you your financial-aid award package, which include any federal, state, or university grants you have been awarded, you have the option of trying to negotiate the terms of your award package with the law school.The first step in this process is to understand what attending that particular law school will cost you over the next three years.Don't only consider the costs of tuition. Also budget for books, a computer, housing, a car, food, and some discretionary income.
If any of your award package is contingent on you satisfying some condition, like maintaining a certain GPA, you should take this into account as well.
 Once you have determined how much it will cost to attend a particular law school, compare these figures with the award package the school offered you. The financial-aid package will cover the whole cost of attendance, but will likely comprise a mixture of need-based aid, merit-based aid, and loans. If you are uncomfortable with the amount of money awarded via loans, you can try to negotiate with the school.
 Before you begin this process in earnest, you should contact the financial-aid office of the particular law school. Ask the office how they handle financial-aid negotiations. Some schools will prefer to do this over the phone, but most prefer written correspondence., This type of negotiation is best done in writing, so either e-mail or mail a hard copy of a letter detailing your desire to negotiate your award package. Detail how the award offer does not fully satisfy your budget, and indicate to the school your desire to attend if they can provide more financial assistance.


Make sure your tone is professional and polite.
For example, don't demand more money; ask if there is anything the school can do to help you attend in a financially secure way.
Attach any other award letters you have received from other schools if you think it will help your position., If the law school responds with a better financial-aid offer, compare the new offer with your calculated cost of attendance to see if this new offer satisfies your budget in a way you are comfortable with. If it doesn't, you can try to repeat this process to see if the law school will offer you a better deal.


Again, be sure to remain cordial during this entire process. Not only does this increase your chance of successful negotiation, it also ensures you won't begin your law-school career in a negative fashion if you do ultimately choose to attend that law school.
Get an FSA ID.
Gather necessary documents.
Start a new FAFSA.
List the law schools that will receive your FAFSA information.
Determine your dependency status.
Provide necessary financial information.
Sign and submit the FAFSA.
Contact your law school's financial aid office.
Contact your state's higher-education authority.
Check for grants from nonprofit or private organizations.
Check for grants from law firms.
Understand your financial situation.
Compare the cost of attendance with your financial-aid package.
Contact the financial-aid office of the law school.
Send a written letter to the school.
Evaluate the school's counter-offer, if any.
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