Welcome to Whittier
Law School’s webpage for financial aid.
Whittier Law School has a longstanding
tradition of administering a financial assistance program
to help students pay for their legal education. The
Law School adheres to a “need-blind” admissions
policy, admitting the best students regardless of family
financial strength. The following is a description
of the application procedures and the sources of financial
aid available at the institution. Prospective and current
students with any questions or financial aid counseling
needs should contact the Office of Financial Aid for
assistance.
Application Procedures
To obtain financial aid at the Law
School, students must apply for it every year.
To be considered for all Federal, State, and Institutional
aid programs, applicants must complete a Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Renewal FAFSA. The
FAFSA is used to determine eligibility for all financial
need-based awards at the Law School.
Students may file an electronic FAFSA
with the Department of Education (Department). It is
available at www.fafsa.ed.gov. This web site is free, secure,
easy to navigate, and online instructions available
throughout the filing process. Though, applicants must
have a Personal Identification Number (PIN) in order
to complete the online FAFSA and to electronically
sign the application. Request for a PIN can be made
at www.pin.ed.gov, and one will be mailed via postal
or electronically sent to the applicant.
The electronic FAFSA is available
for access after January 1st for the upcoming school
year. Prospective and continuing students are encouraged
to file the FAFSA in a timely fashion to avoid delays
in the reviewing process for financial aid. The result
of the FAFSA or Student Aid Report (SAR) will be e-mailed
to applicants within ten to fifteen days after the
Department receives the online FAFSA. In addition,
an electronic SAR will be sent to the Law School. Prospective
students are strongly advised to file the FAFSA early
regardless of whether an admission decision is known.
(*REMINDER: Whittier Law School’s Federal School
Code is E00480.)
For the purpose of verifying accuracy
in the application process, all students must also
complete the Law School’s financial aid application
annually. This application is available in the Office
of Financial Aid (FAO) or it can be found online. There
is a New Student Application for prospective students
and a Continuing Student Application for continuing
students.
Other documents may be required in
the process of verification, including copies of the
student’s Federal income tax return (1040s)
and W2s, verification worksheet, proof of citizenship
or permanent residency, valid driver’s license,
copy of social security card, proof of non-default
of student loans, etc. During the eligibility reviewing
process, the FAO will determine whether any additional
documentation is required. Failure to submit all required
documents to the FAO will result in the delay and/or
cancellation of the student’s financial aid award.
Application Deadline
In order to process students’ financial aid packages,
all required documents must be submitted by certain deadlines. Financial
aid application deadlines are May 1 for the Fall semester
and October 15 for the Spring semester. Prospective
students are encouraged to complete all required documents
for financial aid even before their admission status
at Whittier Law School are known.
Documents and Forms (Adobe
PDF)
For the purpose of convenience, these documents and forms
are made available for downloading. However, students are
NOT required to complete all documents and forms listed below.
Please read the instructions and note if they are applicable
to you.
Office Hours and Location
The Office of Financial Aid is located in building two, Student
Services suite. Normal business hours are from 9:00 a.m.
to 6:00 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday, from 9:00 am to 6:30
pm on Tuesday and Thursday, and from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30
p.m. on Friday. Special office hours are posted on the
doors of the Student Services suite.
Students are encouraged to contact the FAO
with questions by telephone at
(714) 444-4141, extension 203.
To contact by mail, students may write to:
Whittier Law School
The Office of Financial Aid
3333 Harbor Boulevard
Costa Mesa, CA 92626-1501 |
Student counseling is typically
limited during the peak processing cycle to enable
the office to complete award packaging with limited
interruptions. The office’s peak processing
cycle generally occurs between the months of April
and August. It is wise to make an appointment
with a financial aid counselor during this period
to avoid waiting.
Scholarship Programs
The Law School awards numerous tuition
remission scholarships annually to first-year and returning
students. These scholarships are based on both academic
merit and financial need. The Law School scholarship
funds are limited and it is possible that the scholarship
funds will be exhausted before the class is filled.
Admissions Merit Scholarship
Whittier Law School awards admissions scholarships based
on merit. All applicants are given consideration for these
scholarships. Awards are based primarily on academic performance
at the undergraduate level and LSAT. In addition, consideration
will be given to those with extracurricular activities
consistent with Whittier Law School’s mission. All
first year scholarship funds are applied to the fall and
spring academic terms only.
Admissions Merit Renewals
Students who received Admissions Merit scholarships and who
have completed their first year of law study will receive
the promised renewals (and stipends, if applicable) if
they achieve the requisite grades/class ranking at the
end of their first year. Awards are announced after spring
grades are finalized and class rankings have been established
(typically in late July and early August). For purposes
of class rankings, full-time students are ranked together
with all other students who share the same anticipated
graduation date. First year part-time students are ranked
alone at the end of the first year. Thereafter, their class
rank is determined on the class that shares their date
of graduation. Similarly, students in the spring entering
class are initially ranked as a separate group at the end
of their second (summer) semester. Thereafter, their class
rank is determined based on the class that shares their
anticipated graduation date. Students who were
awarded Admissions Merit scholarships are only entitled
to automatic renewals if, at the end of their first year,
they remain in the same class that they were in at the
time they received their initial scholarship award.
Students who complete their first
year of law study and receive Admissions Merit Renewal
scholarships are entitled to additional renewals upon
completion of their second year (and third year for
part-time students) if they meet the requirements set
forth in the initial scholarship award.
Dean’s Merit Scholarship
In addition to Admissions Merit and Admissions Merit Renewal
scholarships, the Law School offers substantial scholarships
to students who did not have scholarships at entrance,
but performed at the top of their class in their first
year. These awards are announced after spring grades are
finalized, class rankings have been established, and all
recipients of Admissions Merit Renewal scholarships have
been determined.
Effective in the 2004-05 academic
year, Dean’s Merit Scholarships are not automatically
renewable. Rather, Dean’s Merit Scholarship awards
will be determined at the end of each academic year
based on cumulative academic performance. It follows
that it is likely that students who received a Dean’s
Merit Scholarship after their first year of law study
will also be awarded such a scholarship after their
second (and third) year of law study. Nevertheless,
there is no guarantee that students who receive a Dean’s
Merit Scholarship after their first year of law study
will be offered a similar scholarship after their second
(or third) year.
General and Need-Based Scholarship
A number of scholarships are awarded annually by the Law
School to upper-division students based on financial need.
To qualify for need-based scholarships, students must (1)
file the FAFSA form by the deadline set by the Office of
Financial Aid and (2) complete and file the Law School’s
General Scholarship Application by the deadline set by
the Office of the Dean of Student Services. Applications
are made available in April. Award amounts, deadlines,
and conditions of scholarships are subject to change, but
academic performance at the Law School, service to the
school, and financial need will all be taken into account.
To what courses do my scholarship
awards apply?
Effective in the 2004-5 academic year, except for “full” scholarships, all scholarships
are awarded in a specific dollar amount. The award is generally
paid in two equal disbursements in the fall and spring semester
of the academic year. No additional scholarship dollars will
be given to students who elect to take additional units,
whether those units are taken in the fall, spring, or summer
terms.
Students who receive a “full” Admissions
Merit scholarship will receive scholarship funds to
cover up to 87 units at Whittier Law School, whether
those units are taken in the fall, spring, or summer
terms (including Whittier Law School summer abroad
programs). However, because eligibility for renewal
many not be determined before the beginning of a summer
term on campus or abroad, all students must make their
own arrangements to pay tuition for those programs.
If it is subsequently learned that the students qualify
for a full Admissions Renewal scholarship, they will
be reimbursed for the tuition costs of the summer program.
Alumni Association Scholarship
The Alumni Association awards a partial scholarship to one
day and one evening upper-division student based on academic
achievement, service to the school, and financial need.
Jeanne S. Berger Scholarship Fund
Established by Judge Jeanne S. Berger, '68, an alumna of Whittier
Law School, to assist a limited number of female upper-division
students with minor children, the scholarship is based on
scholastic achievement and financial need.
Beverly Rubens Gordon Scholarship
Established by friends of former Professor Beverly Rubens
Gordon, this scholarship is awarded to one or two part-time,
upper-division students based on financial need and academic
performance.
David Holtz Memorial Scholarship
Named in memory of David Holtz, a Beverly Law School faculty
member, the scholarship is awarded to an upper-division student
based on academic performance with an emphasis on first-year
Contracts grades.
Eugene S. Mills Scholarship
Named in honor of former Whittier College President Eugene
S. Mills, this scholarship is awarded to the editor-in-chief
of the Whittier Law Review.
W. Roy Newsom Scholarship
Graduates of Whittier College who will be first-year students
at the Law School are eligible for the W. Roy Newsom
scholarship. This scholarship award is named in honor
of the former Whittier College president. Recipients
are rewarded for their undergraduate achievement at Whittier
College.
Other
Scholarship Sources:
Fellowships & Grants
Whittier Public Interest
Law Foundation Grant
The Whittier Public Interest Law Foundation (WPILF) has annual
awards and grants given to a number of students who work
in the field of public interest during the summer break.
Center for Children’s
Rights Fellowship
Fellows in the Center for Children’s Rights receive
a $4,000 fellowship annually. Additional summer awards of
at least $3,800 are available to those who qualify. Fellows
in good academic standing are entitled to continuing fellowships
and summer awards.
Center for International
and Comparative Law
Fellows in the Center for International and Comparative Law
program receive a $4,000 fellowship annually. Fellows in
good academic standing are entitled to continuing fellowships.
Center for Intellectual
Property
Fellows in the Center for Intellectual Property program receive
a $4,000 fellowship annually. Fellows in good academic standing
are entitled to continuing fellowships and summer awards.
Federal
Work-Study (FWS) Program
The FWS program is a need-based financial
aid program that is allocated by the federal government.
The FWS program provides employment opportunities to
eligible students at the Law School with financial
need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education
expenses. Each year, a certain amount of the FWS money
is allocated to the Law School. These funds are used
to pay a portion of the student’s work-study
wages, while the Law School pays the remaining portion.
To qualify for work-study employment, students must:
1) file the FAFSA form to demonstrate
financial need
2) be enrolled for at least half-time (part-time) enrollment
status
3) be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen
4) maintain satisfactory academic progress
5) be registered with the Selective Service or be exempt
from registration
6) not be in default on any Perkins, Stafford, PLUS, or SLS
loan;
7) not owe a refund on a Pell Grant, SEOG-Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grant, or LEAP-Leveraging Education Assistance
Program.
Students who are interested
in participating in the FWS program must first apply
through the Human Resources Department. The Office
of Financial Aid will then confirm the student’s
eligibility before a student
may start working. On-campus FWS employment is available
in the library and other administrative offices.
Off-campus FWS positions must first be arranged with
the Law School’s Human Resources Department.
Further information will be provided upon hiring.
Loan
Programs
Federal Stafford Loan
The Federal Stafford loan program enables students to borrow
from participating lenders at a low interest rate to help
meet educational expenses. To be eligible for a Federal
Stafford loan, a student must (1) file the FAFSA form to
indicate need; (2) be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen;
(3) enroll in at least half-time status; (4) demonstrate
financial need based on the FAFSA calculation; (5) not
be in default on any Perkins, Stafford, PLUS, or SLS loan;
(6) not owe a refund on a Pell Grant, SEOG-Supplemental
Educational Opportunity Grant, or LEAP-Leveraging Education
Assistance Program; and (7) maintain good standing in the
program and make satisfactory progress toward the degree
as measured by the academic standards of the Law School.
The annual maximum amount for the Federal Stafford loan
is $20,500 in subsidized and unsubsidized loans combined.
All students are required to complete an entrance interview
session with the FAO before loan proceeds can be released
for refunds.
Subsidized Federal Stafford
Loans
The subsidized Stafford loan is a need-based educational
loan program that provides low interest loans to students.
Under this program, the government subsidizes the interest
to the lender while recipients are in school or in deferment.
Law students may borrow up to $8,500 each academic year to
a combined aggregate limit of $65,500 for both undergraduate
and graduate loans.
Unsubsidized Federal Stafford
Loans
The unsubsidized Stafford loan is for students who are not
eligible, or only partially eligible, to borrow the subsidized
portion. Loan recipients are responsible for the interest
while in school and during deferment periods, or the interest
can be deferred and added to the principal at repayment.
Students can borrow up to a total of $20,500 of subsidized
and unsubsidized Stafford loans each school year. The cumulative
maximum for both subsidized and unsubsidized loans is $138,500.
Federal regulations require that
the Stafford loan proceeds be paid in multiple installments.
Typically two disbursements are scheduled for each
loan period of enrollment. If the loan period is for
one semester only, two disbursements will be scheduled
for the semester. The first disbursement will occur
at the beginning of the semester and the second disbursement
after the midpoint of the semester. All students are
encouraged to plan responsibly for costs of living
and other expenses before any disbursement arrives
at the Law School. Also, depending on the lender, an
insurance premium fee of two or three percent on the
principal loan amount will be deducted proportionately
from each disbursement of the loan.
Federal Stafford loan proceeds are
sent electronically to Whittier Law School for disbursement.
The student’s account with the Law School will
then be credited for any outstanding balance prior
to the release of the loan proceeds. Any remaining
funds will be distributed to the student after classes
are in session.
Alternative/Private Loans
Alternative or private loans are credit-based loans made
available to students who are unable to finance their cost
of education with the Federal guaranteed student loans
and other financial resources. Most lenders charge a quarterly
variable interest rate plus a supplemental loan fee at
repayment, depending on the student’s credit score.
Although these loans are not based on the student’s
need, other financial resources are always considered when
determining the maximum amounts eligible. No combination
of any financial assistance may exceed the total cost of
attendance for each academic year.
Information on other
lenders for private loans can be obtained through
the Office of Financial Aid, building two, Student
Services suite.
Bar Exam Loan
Bar Exam loans are offered to graduate candidates only. These
are credit-based loans made available through various lenders
to cover expenses for living and bar review courses following
graduation. Certain restrictions apply, including the processing
time before and after graduation, loan limits, and other
credit criteria. Depending on the lender, disbursements
for the Bar loan are sent directly to the borrower.
For the purpose of debt management,
the Law School restricts the certification of the Bar
Exam loan. Graduates may have multiple lenders for
their Bar Exam loans; however, the total of the multiple
loans may not exceed the highest loan amount offered
in the market. Before applying for a Bar loan, graduates
are encouraged to seek advice from a Financial Aid
counselor and to review terms and conditions on the
Bar Loan application.
EMERGENCY LOANS
Through the William C. and Selma
B. Harris Memorial Fund, Whittier Law School is able
to provide emergency short-term loans to needy students.
Loans are made for up to $500, depending on the availability
of funds, for a maximum 60-day term and bear no interest.
Students must complete an application and a petition
form for the loan when applying. The emergency loan
funds are available within 24 hours after the loan
application is fully approved by all required parties
and has been received by the Business Office.
Repayment of the emergency loan must
be made in the Business Office. The maximum repayment
period is 60 days after the application date, but it
cannot in any event exceed the student’s graduation
date. In all cases, however, when the Business Office
receives any other fund sources for a student who has
the emergency loan outstanding, such funds will be
applied first to the repayment of the loan.
Students must be currently enrolled
at Whittier Law School to qualify for the Harris Memorial
emergency loan fund. No emergency loans can be made
before the first day of classes or after the last day
of final exams for any enrollment period. Funds in
the emergency loan account are limited and in the event
the loan funds are depleted, no loan can be made until
funds are available.
LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM
To make public interest law careers
more financially feasible for Whittier Law School graduates,
the Whittier Law School Public Interest Law Foundation
(WPILF) and the Law School administration established
a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) in 2002,
with the first grants awarded in May 2003 and July
2003. The 2002 feasibility study indicated that LRAP
was a necessary institutional commitment to support
the work of the Center for Children’s Rights
(CCR), the WPILF Summer Grant Program, the Externship
Program, and a Whittier curriculum emphasizing the
legal needs of the under represented.
Each grant recipient will receive
two checks, disbursed in July and January yearly. Each
check will be made payable to both the graduate and
the lender. At the discretion of the recipient, funds
may be applied to either principal or interest. Continuing
employment at the time of the application is required
and verified prior to the second disbursement.
Click
here for the LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
application.
Awards
American Board of Trial Advocates
Award
The American Board of Trial Advocates Award, “Excellence
in Preparation for Trial Practice of Law,” is given
to a graduating student who exemplifies a special interest
in the trial practice of the law and its preservation in
the judicial system.
American Jurisprudence Award
This prestigious student award is based on a student’s
outstanding scholastic achievement in specific courses.
CALI Excellence for the Future
Award
The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI),
presents an award to the student in each law school course
achieving the top grade. CALI is a consortium of the nation’s
law schools that provides research and development, and a
distribution network for computer-assisted instruction.
Intramural Moot Court Award
The Moot Court Honors Board awards annual prizes to the highest
individual intramural advocate.
West Publishing Company Awards
for Scholastic Achievement
This student award program recognizes outstanding scholastic
achievement. Four awards, selected from the Practitioner
Series of publications, are given annually.
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