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Tuition and Aid

Cost of Attendance:

Whittier Law, like many other law schools, uses a standard single budget for the cost of attendance which applies to all students. For the purpose of aid verification, the cost of attendance is normally based on a nine-month period for fall and spring semesters. The cost of attendance for the academic year 2011-12 is shown below:

Fall & Spring Full-Time Part-Time
Tuition and Fees $ 39,140 $ 26,110
Living Expenses    
Books/Supplies $1,656 $1,656
Personal Expenses $ 3,526 $ 3,526
Room and Board $ 14,986 $ 14,986
Transportation $ 3,192 $ 3,192
Health Care Insurance $ 2,052 $ 2,052
COA $ 64,552 $ 51,522

Notes:

  1. Tuition charge = $1,303 per unit
  2. Budget for newly admitted students is higher by $1,500 to include a one-time laptop/computer purchase
  3. Students have the option of using their own health care insurance
  4. Living expenses for family members are not covered by financial aid. Regulations restrict the budget to the expense categories shown above for a student only.
  5. Students are encouraged to plan cautiously for any additional expenses not included in the cost of attendance.
  6. Budget is subject to change upon new fiscal year.

Summer Session:

The cost of attendance for summer session is calculated separately as it involves multiple on-campus and abroad programs. Basically, a summer budget for each program includes tuition, application and/or program fees, housing, transportation/airfare, and a reasonable sum for miscellaneous expenses. Students are encouraged to check with the Office of Financial Aid for procedures and actual cost of attendance for summer.

Intersession or Mini-Session:

The intersession or mini-session is a one- or two-week course/program between semesters when regular classes are not meeting. Therefore, the cost of attendance for the session is determined separately and financial aid award is counted as part of the regular spring semester. Students are encouraged to check with the Office of Financial Aid for procedures and restrictions on these programs.

Fundamental Aid Awarding Process

The process of financial aid awarding is based on the computation of the FAFSA and cost of attendance each academic year. Need-based awards will be granted before those of non-need-based aid. Financial aid awards are given in the following descending order:

  1. Institutional aid such as scholarships and/or fellowships
  2. External financial assistance from a student’s family, employer, independent agency, etc.
  3. Federal campus-based aid such as work-study
  4. Federal Direct Stafford loans – subsidized and unsubsidized
  5. Federal Direct Graduate PLUS (Grad-PLUS) loan, or
  6. Private loan (can be expensive)

By regulations, all types of financial resources are included in the aid awarding process. Therefore, students receiving external aid (i.e. Veterans’ benefits, AmeriCorps benefits, Governor’s scholarships program, tuition reimbursement benefits, living allowances, etc.) are required to notify the Office of Financial Aid. Failure to do so will result in the adjustment and/or cancellation of financial aid awards.