The UCLA Law Distinguished Scholars Program is a binding early-decision program providing full tuition for three years to exceptionally qualified students ready to commit to UCLA Law. The UCLA Law Achievement Fellowship is non-binding and provides full tuition for three years to high-achieving students who have overcome significant personal, educational or socio-economic hardships.

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All admitted 1L students are considered for a Dean’s Scholarship. In determining the scholarship amount, both merit and financial need can be considered. Dean’s Scholarships may be awarded for all three years of the J.D. program and there is no need to reapply after your 1L year. No new applications are accepted in the 2L and 3L years.

Instructions for students entering their 1L year in Fall 2026 (students currently enrolled at UCLA School of Law should visit MyLaw):

Merit Component
Before we can determine your eligibility for merit, all admitted students must complete the Dean’s Scholarship Consideration Form, provided to you by the UCLA Law Admission’s Office. No additional application is needed for merit consideration.

Need Component
UCLA Law has a generous need component, providing significant assistance to domestic students with financial need. Each case is individually considered, but a student who qualifies for a Dean’s Scholarship, based on both merit and need, will generally receive a larger total gift award. If you are unsure whether you will qualify for a need award, we strongly encourage you to apply, even if you believe you will also qualify for a merit award.

Our awarding process for need-based scholarships takes into account both students' and their parents' financial resources. In order to help the law school’s Financial Aid Office estimate financial need, students must complete and the Law School Financial Need Application, which collects data about the family profile. The variables considered include family size, assets and income, among other things.

Application Instructions:

1. Determine if you must provide your parents’ information on the Need Application (see criteria below).
2. Complete the Law School Financial Need Application when it becomes available in mid-January.

• As part of the Need Application, admitted students and/or their parents are required to upload their 2024 Tax Return Transcripts (foreign transcripts/tax returns cannot be evaluated). In the rare case when a tax return transcript is not available, the school may accept a signed copy of the 2024 Federal Tax Return along with Schedules 1, 2 and 3, if applicable. Hard copies and emailed copies of tax documents will not be accepted. Please note that all Social Security Numbers (SSN) and any account information must be redacted on each tax transcript/tax return submitted.
   
• Students who did not file a 2024 U.S. federal tax return will need to upload a self-certified statement of non-filing to their UCLA Need Application. 
   
• Parents who did not file a 2024 U.S. federal tax return must upload an official IRS verification of non-filing. This verification documentation may be requested from the IRS by submitting form 4506-T. 

The determination of your financial-need award will only be possible once you have been admitted and the Law School Need Application have been completed.
 

Criteria for determining submission of parent information on the UCLA Law School Need Application:

Students must provide their parents' information on the Law School Need Application unless the student:

• will be 29 years of age or older by December 31 of the academic year for which he/she is applying
• can provide documentation that no one has claimed him/her on their tax returns for the last seven years
• has a dependent other than a spouse (i.e., a child) and provides more than 50% to their support
• is a veteran
• was considered as an independent by his/her undergraduate institution through dependency override, and not based on age or marital status. (Documentation required.)

Students who do not fit the above criteria and do not provide parents' information on the Need Application or do not upload the required tax documents will not be considered for a need award.

UCLA Law's donor-supported program consists of numerous endowments and scholarships funded by alumni and friends of the school, as well as law firms in our community. Consideration for student eligibility for these scholarships will take place during the admission process.

Tax and Business Law Scholarships (TABLS)

UCLA Law and the Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy (LMI) annually award five scholarships to students who are interested in tax and business law and policy. These scholarships are part of LMI’s Tax and Business Law Scholarship (“TABLS”) Program. The Program is led by Jim Barrall ’75, a Senior Fellow in Residence at LMI and a retired partner of Latham & Watkins LLP.

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A. Barry Cappello Scholarship in Trial Advocacy

The University of California Native American Opportunity Plan ensures that in-state systemwide mandatory tuition and fees are fully covered for California residents who are members of federally recognized Native American, American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. In addition, the Law School will also cover Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition for NAOP eligible students beginning with the class starting in fall 2024.  

Eligibility

To be eligible for this award, students must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Newly admitted or a current law school student
2. California resident
3. Enrolled member in a federally recognized Native American, American Indian and/or Alaska Native tribe
4. Enrolled in a state-supported UC degree program (i.e., students in self-supporting and certificate programs do not qualify)

If you are a member of a tribe that is not federally recognized, additional support may be available through external organizations, including the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria Scholarship Fund.

Documentation Requirements

Students should file a FAFSA, but no additional application is required.

Students who are potentially eligible must submit tribal enrollment documentation from their federally recognized tribe or the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).  Documentation may include any of the following:

• Certification of tribal enrollment on tribal letterhead
• Enrollment/membership card that contains the tribal seal and/or official signature of a tribal leader
• Certification of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) if the CDIB includes tribal enrollment information
• Tribal identification card with an enrollment number

Students must also submit tribal contact information (address, phone, email) if it is not evident on submitted documentation.

In June, the law school Financial Aid Office we reach out to NAOP potential candidates with documentation submission instructions.

NAOP Award Amount

For eligible students, the Native American Opportunity Plan will fully cover UC systemwide tuition ($13,140), and Student Services Fees ($1,290) and the Law School will fully cover Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition ($45,944).  The maximum combined NAOP and Law School PDST award for the 2025-26 academic year is $60,374.

If you are already receiving gift aid (law school merit, need, and/or a donor-based scholarship, GOFP), veteran’s tuition benefits and/or external scholarships that are tuition specific and the total of your gift aid is equal to or more than your UC systemwide tuition, Student Services Fees and Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition, then the Native American Opportunity Plan promise has been satisfied.  However, if your law school gift aid does not fully cover UC systemwide fees, Student Services Fees, and Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition, your Native American Opportunity Plan will cover the difference with additional funding. 

Examples:

1. Your gift aid is $61,000.  The Native American Opportunity Plan promise has been satisfied as your gift aid is greater than the NAOP award. 
2. Your gift aid is $20,000.  You would receive an additional aid amount of $40,374 under the Native American Opportunity Plan.
    

The tuition, fees and awards listed here are estimates based on existing amounts. These figures may not be final. Actual tuition, fees, and charges are subject to change and could be affected by state funding reductions.  

External Scholarship Sources

The UCLA School of Law encourages students to pursue outside scholarships to supplement their financial aid. 

The following scholarship databases can be utilized by potential, incoming and continuing students to search for external scholarship funding:

In addition, the Financial Aid Office will notify students of specific outside scholarship opportunities through MyLaw announcements.

Note: Per federal financial aid guidelines the total financial aid you receive, including outside scholarships, cannot exceed a student’s cost-of-attendance (COA) budget. If the amount of aid received plus outside scholarships exceeds COA, student loans may be reduced by the excess amount.

Where to Send Outside Scholarship Checks

Outside scholarship checks must be sent to UCLA’s Payment Solutions and Compliance office. The mailing address is:

UCLA Payment Solutions & Compliance
Box 957089, 1125 Murphy Hall
405 Hilgard Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90095-7089

Checks should be made out to the UC Regents and include the student’s name and University ID on the check and/or accompanying paperwork. Also, please make sure the semester(s) for which the funds are intended is specified on the accompanying paperwork.

Note: Once UCLA receives an outside scholarship check it generally takes two to three weeks for Payment Solutions to process. After the check has been processed, the award will be posted to a student’s BFA portal.

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a government form which enables the school to determine students' eligibility for a Federal Direct Unsubsidized loan. The FAFSA must be completed each year by all who wish to be considered for federal financial aid at UCLA.

Completing the FAFSA online reduces errors and improves turnaround time. You can do this by going to studentaid.gov. Request that a copy of the FAFSA be released to UCLA by indicating our school code: 001315.

The FAFSA should be submitted as early as possible after January 1

Even though your Social Security Number is not required on the admission application, the school will not receive your FAFSA and thus will be unable to determine your need eligibility unless you provide us with your SSN. If you have omitted the SSN from your admission application, you can add it via your MyUCLA portal.

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program

On July 4, 2025, a reconciliation bill was signed into law that significantly impacts federal financial aid programs.  We are actively monitoring the implementation of this policy change and as more information becomes available, we will update this site to keep you informed.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan

Starting July 1, 2026, it is expected that incoming JD students will be eligible to borrow Direct Unsubsidized Loans up to $50,000 annually, with a maximum aggregate eligibility of $200,000.  

For the 2025-26 academic year, the Direct Unsubsidized Loan had an interest rate of 7.94 percent, and a loan origination fee of 1.057 percent. The federal government automatically deducts the loan fee from each disbursement; therefore, the original (gross) amount requested and the disbursed (net) amount differ.  Interest rates for the 2026-27 academic year will be set by the Department of Education during the summer of 2026. 

The student is responsible for the interest, which accrues immediately upon disbursement. Repayment begins six months after graduation or upon dropping below half-time enrollment.

All applicants must submit a FAFSA in order to be considered for a federal student loan. 

The lifetime borrowing cap will be $257,500 on all federal student loans ($200,000 for professional degrees, plus $57,500 for undergraduate degrees).  

Entrance Counseling

Important! All first-time federal loan borrowers at UCLA need to be informed about borrowers’ rights and responsibilities. Law students will satisfy this requirement by completing an online Entrance Counseling Session. This can be accomplished by reviewing the counseling session materials and taking an online quiz. All quiz results are transmitted electronically to the UCLA Student Loan Services and Collections Office.

Please be sure to indicate "UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles" as your institution when registering your account to ensure that you are directed to the entrance exam.

Failure to follow through with this requirement will delay disbursement of your eligible Federal Direct Loan proceeds.

Private loans are offered by lenders independently of the Department of Education. Private loans are best utilized only if eligibility for Federal Direct Loans has been exhausted. Private loans are not guaranteed by the federal government. These loans are based on credit and their terms vary based on the lender, from whom you borrow as well as on your (and, if required cosigner’s) credit-worthiness.

Credit-Based Private Loans

Federal student loans are available to most students regardless of income and provide a range of repayment options, including income-based repayment plans and loan forgiveness benefits, which other education loans are not required to provide.

Some students find it necessary to finance a portion of their education through private loan sources. These lenders offer loans to offset the cost of attending law school. The loan terms are printed directly on the application and also are governed by federal and state lending regulations. The choice of lender rests solely with the student, but he/she will need to meet the lender’s credit requirements. Please see UCLA's Preferred Lender List and Code of Conduct – Preferred Lenders.

Bar Loans

Law students may apply for Bar Loans for the period after graduation when they are studying for the bar. A Bar loan is an unsecured consumer loan offered to graduating law school students to assist with expenses related to the bar process. These related expenses may include the following: bar examination fees, bar review courses, and living expenses during the period after graduation and prior to being notified of the exam results.

Bar Loan interest rates are generally higher than those of federal and private loans. Students should review the product guidelines and repayment options before applying. See UCLA’s Preferred Lenders List for a list of Bar Loan lenders.

Please note: For graduates needing to obtain a Bar Loan after graduation, when using UCLA’s Preferred Lender List (ELM Select), please indicate that your graduation date will be in the future in order to obtain a potential list of lenders that offer this product.

Outside scholarship checks should be sent to UCLA’s Payment Solutions and Compliance office. The address is:

UCLA Payment Solutions & Compliance
Box 957089, 1125 Murphy Hall
405 Hilgard Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90095-7089

Checks should be made out to the UC Regents and include the student’s name and University ID on the check and/or accompanying paperwork. Also, please make sure the semester(s) for which the funds are intended is specified on the accompanying paperwork.

Earned Aid includes job opportunities for students wishing to reduce loan indebtedness such as UCLA Teaching and Research Assistantships, Summer Public Interest Fellowships.

Teaching Assistantships

Through UCLA’s Graduate Division, advanced graduate and professional students have an excellent opportunity to gain practical teaching and tutoring experience in departments outside of the law school while earning an income to offset the cost of their tuition and fees. In-state students who are employed 45 percent or more are entitled to a fee remission of 75 percent of the Education Fee, a fee remission of 75 percent of the Registration Fee, and a fee remission of 100 percent of the Graduate Student Health Insurance Plan. These fee remissions significantly reduce the student’s out-of-pocket expenses for the academic year. This reduction may, in turn, affect a student’s total loan eligibility.

For more information and to obtain an application, please visit the Graduate Division website.

Summer Public Service Fellowships

Through an array of funding sources, UCLA School of Law provides stipends to first-and second-year students who engage in otherwise unpaid summer internships with nonprofit organizations or government agencies (judicial externships are not categorized as internships with government agencies). The application process begins in the spring semester, and students with eligible positions must submit an application in order to be considered for this Fellowship. In summer 2020, UCLA School of Law funded approximately 250 students.

• FAFSA
• Federal Student Aid Info
• National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)
• ​Debt Management Session (Entrance Loan Counseling)
• Graduate Division
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UCLA School of Law offers a robust Loan Repayment Assistance Program commonly referred to as LRAP.  This program can provide financial support for recent J.D. graduates employed in public interest or public service settings, where salaries are significantly lower than in the private sector. Graduates may participate in the Program for up to 10 years.

Through LRAP, UCLA Law has in the past decade covered roughly $4.5 million in student loan payments for J.D. graduates who work in public interest jobs, government positions or judicial clerkships.

Under UCLA Law School’s LRAP guidelines alumni with incomes up to $80,000 may have their entire eligible federal student loan payments fully covered. Applicants with incomes up to $120,000 may now receive partial assistance.

“Student loans are one of the biggest barriers for law students who want to pursue public interest careers,” says Brad Sears, UCLA Law’s associate dean of public interest law. “The support that LRAP provides helps bridge that gap and allows the full diversity of our student body to pursue public interest careers, including students who carry a significant amount of student loan debt.”

To qualify for LRAP, a graduate must meet the LRAP guidelines which include working for a nonprofit organization, a clerkship or an agency of government in law-related employment that makes substantial use of legal skills.  Because most educational loans offer a six-month grace period following graduation, graduates going directly into qualifying employment will usually receive their first LRAP loan approximately six months after graduation.

Kia Hayes ’13, a staff attorney at the Innocence Project New Orleans, says that she could not afford to pursue her career without UCLA Law’s LRAP.:

“I came to UCLA Law because I wanted to dedicate my professional life to criminal and racial justice,” says Hayes, who has helped win the freedom of five men who were imprisoned after being wrongly convicted. “I would not be able to do this work were it not for LRAP. I relied on student loans to cover nearly all my tuition, and I would not be able to cover my monthly loan payments without LRAP.”

The School of Law’s Public Service Fellowship Program seeks to support graduating students who have demonstrated a longstanding commitment to public service, enabling them to work with a variety of nonprofit organizations and government agencies, both domestically and abroad.

Through the Professional Opportunity Program, UCLA Law and Liberty Hill Foundation have partnered to set up a one year fellowship to allow successful candidates the opportunity to work full-time for up to one year with nonprofit organizations, government agencies or judges. Participants are paid monthly stipends.

The New Graduate Opportunity Program funds part-time, temporary work with nonprofit organizations and government agencies for up to 200 hours at up to 20 hours per week. Participants are paid by UCLA School of Law - therefore negating any employer concerns regarding unpaid interns - and  have a unique opportunity to further build their resume and to enhance their legal skills while awaiting bar results. Although participating employers are not required to permanently hire these graduates, many host employers have offered our graduates long-term employment at the conclusion of the program.