Financial Aid FAQs

Cost of Attendance
"Cost of Attendance" is an estimation of how much it will cost a student to live and attend school for an academic year (9 months).

2012-2013

CO-resident living off-campus: $18,692 is budgeted for living expenses. Non-resident students are awarded an additional $546 for transportation costs.

The breakdown:

Not considered educational expenses: Moving expenses (transporting personal items from previous residence to Boulder) and expenses related to car ownership (including car payments, insurance, maintenance and campus parking), and credit card debt payments.

How is the cost of attendance determined?
The cost of attendance for the University of Colorado is determined by the Office of Financial Aid, the U.S. Department of Education (ED), and the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) guidelines. The Office of Financial Aid uses the maximum allowed parameters from ED and CDHE in designing the budget. Your financial aid, including loans, scholarships, grants, and work-study cannot exceed the cost of attendance.

Loans, Scholarships, & Work Study

What kind of financial aid is available to law students?
All three years: You may qualify for Federal Direct Stafford Loans and Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans. In addition, the Law School's Office of Admissions administers institutional scholarship funding. 

Second and third-year students may be eligible to receive Federal Work-Study, depending on funding and eligibility.

When I receive my Financial Aid Award Letter, should I accept the maximum loan amounts offered?
Do not accept more loan money than you need! There are two loan programs available to law students: the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan (Stafford) and the Direct PLUS loan (PLUS).

Stafford – 6.8% interest rate, maximum of $20,500 per year

PLUS – 7.9% interest rate, will make up the rest of your loan needs above $20,500

For both programs, the interest begins accruing during law school, so you will be accumulating interest before you start making payments. Borrowing as little as possible will minimize the interest you accumulate before you graduate.

How do I decide how much I need?

Compare your personal expenses to your cost of attendance.

Personal expenses below your loan award? Borrow only what you will need.

Any balance of the award you do not take up front can serve as a safety net for unexpected emergencies during the nine month academic year.

Will I need money prior to receiving my loan funds?
In most instances, loan funds and/or scholarships will be disbursed to your student account twice a year--at the beginning of each semester. This may cause a temporary cash-flow problem. Please come to Boulder prepared to make deposits on housing and utilities and be able to purchase books prior to receiving your financial aid.

How are my awards credited to my student account?
One half of your total awarded dollar amounts will be automatically credited to your student account each semester after you accept your financial aid award offer and follow instructions for processing additional required forms and promissory notes. You will need to establish direct deposit with the Bursar's Office in order to process any amount due to you after your student account has been paid in full. You can sign up for direct deposit after your University student account has been activated.

What should I do if I have special circumstances for which I need additional funding?
Appeals - The Department of Education and the University of Colorado allow you to appeal if you have special circumstances. Examples include child care, medical expenses over and above your budget, and expenses relating to a disabling condition. Credit card or car payment expenses may not be added to the budget. For information on special circumstance appeals, please go to http://www.colorado.edu/finaid/unusual-grad.html.

Will a credit check be necessary before I can qualify for my loans?
A credit check will not be necessary for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan program. However, a credit check will be necessary to qualify for Graduate PLUS loans. These are performed by the Direct Loan program's confidential third-party partner and no one at the University will ever be able to access your credit information or score.

What is "Verification"?
Verification is a process that compares the information you submitted on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to your Federal Income Tax Return. During this process, additional documents may be required (e.g., Selective Service Confirmation).

Tuition

How do I qualify for in-state tuition?
There is a required 12-month waiting period for in-state tuition classification. This begins 12 months before the first day of class for the term for which you are petitioning. This rule is governed by state law and is subject to change without notice. Information about tuition classification is available at http://registrar.colorado.edu/students/tuition_classification.html.

Information sheets and petitions for residency are available from the Tuition Classification Department located in the Registrar's Office in the Regent Administrative Center.