Skip To The Main Content
Menu
Search

In This Section

Scholarships and Aid Programs

New England Law | Boston prides itself on a long history of providing access and opportunity to the legal profession. Accordingly, the law school is pleased to offer a variety of scholarships, grants, and other aid programs to help law students make their education more affordable. You can view a list of our merit scholarships for law students and other awards below.

FACT: 76% of our incoming first-year students received scholarships in 2018
FACT: 93% of our incoming first-year students received scholarships in 2023.                         

Scholarships for Incoming First-Year Law Students

Beginning with classes entering fall 2019, any applicant may be considered for these scholarships, based on their legal interests, background, and other criteria. Most scholarships are awarded during the admission process, with students notified of any scholarships won or additional application requirements in their acceptance packet. All scholarships are merit-based; they include:

  • Full-tuition scholarships for our Justice Sandra Day O'Connor scholars
  • Scholarships for students interested in criminal law, immigration, intellectual property (IP), public interest law, and other legal specialties
  • Diversity scholarships for students from historically underrepresented backgrounds
  • Scholarship for graduates of any four-year Massachusetts state college or university
  • Scholarship for students relocating to Boston
  • Scholarship for “nontraditional” law students
  • Scholarship for international students
  • Scholarship for first-generation students

Not applicable to students who enrolled prior to September 2019. 

Conditional Scholarship Retention Data (ABA Standard 509 Information Report)

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Full-Tuition Scholarship

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the US Supreme Court, shared her unique perspective on the law during several visits to New England Law | Boston, the first law school founded exclusively for women. Full-tuition Justice Sandra Day O'Connor merit-based scholarships are awarded to incoming students who show exceptional academic promise. All students are considered upon admission to the school, without further application. This scholarship is awarded in conjunction with the law school’s Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Honors Program.

Academic Achievement Merit Scholarships, Dean's Merit Scholarships, and Portia Awards

  • Amount: Varies, including half- and partial-tuition scholarships
  • How to Apply: Complete New England Law | Boston application for admission.

These law school scholarships are awarded to incoming students who demonstrate outstanding academic promise. All students are considered upon admission to the school, without further application. These scholarships are renewable annually, provided the recipient meets specified academic requirements.

Charles Hamilton Houston Diversity Scholarship

New England Law | Boston was founded on inclusivity and access to the legal profession. That’s why we offer this diversity scholarship for minority, multicultural, and historically underrepresented students. The scholarship is awarded in conjunction with the law school’s Charles Hamilton Houston Enrichment Program, which provides community and resources for law students of color; the program is open to all New England Law students who are interested in issues of diversity and inclusion.

Criminal Law Scholarship

  • Amount: Up to $10,000
  • How to Apply: Complete New England Law | Boston application for admission; additional scholarship details may be supplied during admissions process.

Studying criminal law can take you straight from law school to the courtroom and beyond. Incoming first-year law students interested in criminal law and litigation may be eligible for this scholarship. The admissions committee will review students’ applications for admission with consideration toward their stated interest in criminal law and/or litigation.

Environmental Law Scholarship

  • Amount: Up to $10,000
  • How to Apply: Complete New England Law | Boston application for admission; additional scholarship application details may be supplied during admissions process.

Environmental law, sustainability, and stewardship are hot topics the world over—and hot career tracks for law students. That’s why New England Law offers this scholarship for incoming students who wish to study environmental law. Students interested in energy law may also be considered for this scholarship.

First Generation Students Scholarship

  • Amount: Up to $10,000
  • How to Apply: Complete New England Law | Boston application for admission; please be sure to answer the question concerning parents’ highest education level. Additional scholarship details may be supplied during admissions process.

First-generation students face unique challenges in attending law school—but paying for it shouldn’t be one of them. That’s why New England Law offers a scholarship specifically for incoming first-gen students, furthering our mission of expanding access to the legal profession. (We also offer a First Generation Students Program to provide additional resources, fellowship, and support.)

Immigration Law Scholarship

  • Amount: Up to $10,000
  • How to Apply: Complete New England Law | Boston application for admission; additional scholarship application details may be supplied during admissions process.

Incoming first-year students who wish to study immigration law may be considered for this scholarship. It is an exciting time to become an immigration lawyer, and New England Law is thrilled to offer a generous scholarship that supports law students with such ambitions. 

Intellectual Property (IP) Law Scholarship

  • Amount: Up to $10,000
  • How to Apply: Complete New England Law | Boston application for admission; additional scholarship application details may be supplied during admissions process.

Few legal specialties are as wide-reaching—or in demand—as intellectual property law, and students interested in this specialty may be eligible for our Intellectual Property (IP) Law Scholarship. Students interested in patent law may be eligible as well. Incoming first-year students with a background or degree in engineering, science, and/or advanced degree (master’s or PhD) may be given special consideration for the IP law scholarship.

International Student Scholarship

Every year, international students flock to the United States for law school. This scholarship is for international students who are coming to the U.S. to earn their JD (juris doctor) or LLM (Master of Laws) degree from New England Law | Boston. Our admissions and financial aid teams are also poised to help international students through the law school application process.

 

Nontraditional Law Student Scholarship

  • Amount: Up to $10,000
  • How to Apply: Complete New England Law | Boston application for admission; additional scholarship details may be supplied during admissions process.

Many students come to law school after taking some time to work in the real world. This scholarship is for those “nontraditional” law students, who may be several years out of undergrad, older, and/or starting a second career. Students considering the various part-time JD options at New England Law may be eligible for these scholarships, awarded during the admissions process.

Public Interest Law Scholarship

  • Amount: Up to $10,000
  • How to Apply: Complete New England Law | Boston application for admission; additional scholarship application details may be supplied during admissions process.

New England Law has been recognized as a top school for public interest law, and we foster the ambitions of students who want to become public interest attorneys with this scholarship. Students with a demonstrated background or interest in public interest law may be given special consideration for this scholarship.

Scholarship for Massachusetts State College Graduates

This scholarship is for graduates of Massachusetts state colleges and universities. We are fortunate to have a great state university system in Massachusetts, and New England Law welcomes many of its graduates every year. Any graduate of a four-year public college or university in Massachusetts may be considered for this law school scholarship.

Tax Law Scholarship

  • Amount: Up to $10,000
  • How to Apply: Complete New England Law | Boston application for admission; additional scholarship details may be supplied during admissions process.

This scholarship in tax law is for incoming first-year law students who wish to study tax law and/or estate planning. Individuals with a background in certified financial planning (CFP) or accounting (CPA) may be considered for the Tax Law Scholarship as well. Note: the tax law specialization at New England Law | Boston prepares students who wish to earn an LLM in tax law as well.

Additional Aid Programs

Merit-based Scholarships

A variety of generous merit-based scholarships are available to incoming New England Law | Boston students. In recent years, more than 60 percent of the students in the entering class have received merit-based law school scholarships.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Merit Scholarships

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the US Supreme Court, shared her unique perspective on the law during several visits to New England Law | Boston, the first law school founded exclusively for women. Full-tuition Justice Sandra Day O'Connor merit-based scholarships are awarded to incoming students who show exceptional academic promise. All students are considered upon admission to the school, without further application. These law school scholarships are renewable annually, provided the recipient meets specified academic requirements.

New England Law | Boston Academic Achievement Merit Scholarships, Dean's Merit Scholarships, and Portia Awards

These law school scholarships are awarded to incoming students who demonstrate outstanding academic promise. All students are considered upon admission to the school, without further application. These scholarships are renewable annually, provided the recipient meets specified academic requirements.

Charles Hamilton Houston Merit Scholarships

Charles Hamilton Houston was the first general counsel of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Legal Defense Fund and a dean of Howard University Law School. The Charles Hamilton Houston merit-based scholarships—in amounts up to full tuition—were established to recognize incoming minority students who demonstrate superior academic promise. All eligible students are considered upon admission to the school, without further application. These law school scholarships are renewable annually, provided the recipient meets specified academic requirements.

Statement on Student Requests for Scholarship Reinstatement, Increase, or Other Adjustments

Student institutional merit scholarships are awarded during the admission process and students are notified of awards by the Admission Office. These scholarships are then awarded, disbursed, and reconciled by the Financial Aid Office each semester based on maintained student eligibility. New England Law Boston does not accept student appeals to increase, reinstate, or otherwise adjust institutional scholarship awards outside of standard financial aid policies. However, students seeking additional funds are encouraged to reach out to the Financial Aid Office to inquire about federal and private financial aid options.

Other Grant Programs and Scholarships

Trustee Academic Scholarships

Ten Trustee Academic Scholarships are awarded automatically (not by application) at the end of spring semester to the two highest ranking continuing students in the Day full-time program (2) as well as the combined evening part-time and day part-time programs (2), based on the students’ grade point average for the academic year just completed. They are not based on a student’s cumulative grade point average. Only fall and spring grades are considered; summer grades are not. In addition, students in the Flexible JD Program are not eligible for the Trustee Academic Scholarship.

Students in the day full-time program must have been enrolled in a minimum of 12 graded credits for each of the qualifying semesters to be considered for these scholarships; evening and day part-time students must have been enrolled in 9 graded credits for each of the qualifying semesters. The funds for these scholarships are applied towards tuition in the following academic year. The total of all scholarships received by any individual student cannot exceed the cost of tuition.

For more information on these scholarships, please contact the Office of Financial Aid or the Office of the Registrar.

Robert S. Marcus Memorial Scholarship

A $5,000 scholarship is awarded to one full-time day student in their final year of law school. The student must be from a single-parent household, have shown a commitment to trial practice, and demonstrate financial need. Applications are available in early spring and are awarded before the end of the academic year.

Yellow Ribbon Grant Program

New England Law | Boston, together with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, awards unlimited matching grant funds (up to the cost of tuition and fees) to an unlimited number of eligible veterans. More information on this program and student veteran eligibility can be found on our Veterans’ Benefits page.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan

The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan is a low-interest, unsubsidized loan available to students to help offset educational expenses.

The maximum annual amount that can be borrowed with a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan is $20,500. The maximum cumulative borrowing is $138,500, including any previous subsidized borrowing you may have had. 

A loan origination fee will apply to your loan, based on the time of its first disbursement. Stafford loans that originate in the 2023-2024 academic year have an origination fee of 1.057 percent.

The interest rate on the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan is fixed at 7.05 percent for new loans disbursed in the academic year 2023-2024. You are responsible for the interest payments for this loan while enrolled; however, you have the option to allow the interest to accrue and capitalize. To be eligible for this loan, you must be enrolled in at least six credits during the academic year or three credits during the summer (i.e., half-time or greater enrollment status.) The interest rate for the 2024-2025 academic year will be updated in June.

During periods of enrollment for which you are enrolled at half-time or greater status, this loan will be eligible for automatic in-school deferment. This loan will generally enter repayment after a six-month grace period following your graduation or less than half-time enrollment.

Application Process

To apply for a Federal Direct Stafford Loan, please complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the New England Law | Boston E-App. For further details, please see our Aid Process information page.

Disbursement of Funds

Generally, Stafford Loans are disbursed in two equal installments: at the start of the fall semester and the start of the spring semester. Any refund check due to a student after payment of tuition will be available at the Office of Student Accounts, after the start of classes in either semester.

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

The Federal Graduate PLUS Loan Program allows eligible graduate students to borrow additional funding, capped annually by their cost of attendance, minus all other financial aid. There is no maximum cumulative borrowing limit for this loan program.

Grad PLUS loans are subject to credit review, and the appearance of the loan on your My Fin Aid award screen does not guarantee approval. We recommend that you review your credit report prior to applying, as approval requires satisfactory credit. Free credit reports can be obtained once every 12 months at AnnualCreditReport.com.

If you are denied the loan based on credit, you will be contacted by Direct Loans with the option to appeal the decision or to secure an endorser for the loan. For information about what the Department of Education will be looking for in its credit check, visit the Definition of Adverse Credit History for Grad PLUS Loans site.

A loan origination fee will apply to your loan, based on the time of its first disbursement. Grad PLUS loans that originate in the 2023–2024 academic year have an origination fee of 4.228 percent.

The interest rate on the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan is fixed at 8.05 percent for new loans disbursed in the academic year 2023-2024. You are responsible for the interest payments for this loan while enrolled; however, you have the option to allow the interest to accrue and capitalize. To be eligible for this loan, you must be enrolled in at least six credits during the academic year or three credits during the summer (i.e., half-time or greater enrollment status). The interest rate for the 2024-2025 academic year will be updated in June.

During periods of enrollment for which you are enrolled at half-time or greater status, this loan will be eligible for automatic in-school deferment. This loan will generally enter repayment after an automatic six-month deferment, following your graduation or less than half-time enrollment.

Application Process

To apply for a Federal Graduate PLUS Loan, please complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the New England Law E-App. For more details, please see our Aid Process information page.

Disbursement of Funds

Generally, Grad PLUS loans are disbursed in two equal installments: at the start of the fall semester and the start of the spring semester. Any refund check due to the student after payment of tuition will be available at the Office of Student Accounts, after the start of classes in either semester.

Private Education Loans

Private education loans are available from a variety of lenders. As with Federal Grad PLUS Loans, private loan eligibility is based on a student’s budget, and satisfactory credit is essential for approval. We recommend that you review your credit report before applying for private educational law school loans. Free credit reports can be obtained once every 12 months at AnnualCreditReport.com.

Federal loans may have more beneficial terms than the private loans available. We advise students to closely compare the terms and repayment plan options.

Please contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information on private loans and federal loans. 

International Student Loans

International students who are attending New England Law | Boston and not eligible for federal loans may contact the Office of Financial Aid for a listing of appropriate private lenders, along with an estimated budget.

Take the Next Step