Cost & Financial Aid
Financing Your Legal Education, by LSAC
Scholarships
There are three types of scholarship funding opportunities for KU Law students. All admitted students are automatically considered for KU School of Law scholarships with the submission of their admission application. The scholarship committee will notify scholarship recipients by letter.
Once enrolled, students may apply for KU School of Law scholarships with specific eligibility criteria. Throughout the year, a number of scholarship opportunities are presented from private organizations. KU Law students are regularly notified of these scholarship opportunities.
Need-based Scholarship
Need-based scholarships are only available for applicants that have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Application forms and information may be obtained online at www.fafsa.gov. Applicants should obtain the forms at the earliest possible date. The KU Office of Student Financial Aid begins accepting applications on January 1.
The University of Kansas Federal School Code is 001948.
Merit-based Scholarship
Merit-based scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement and the student's potential for success in law school. A number of these scholarships are funded through privately endowed resources. Many are awarded to students who come from specific geographical regions or who are members of minority groups. These scholarships are awarded to both resident and nonresident first-year students. There is no application process to be considered for merit-based scholarships. Any student admitted to the School of Law is automatically considered.
Rice Scholar Program
The Rice Scholar Program brings Kansas residents with outstanding academic records and proven leadership ability to the University of Kansas School of Law. A committee of faculty members selects Rice Scholars from the first-year admitted student candidates. Selection is based on merit only, as evidenced by undergraduate academic achievement, LSAT score, and record of leadership. Final selections are made after interviews with the Rice Scholarship committee. Each year five Rice Scholars are selected. The scholarship covers tuition and fees for first-year students and is fully renewable for the second and third year if the recipient maintains a prescribed grade-point average.
Other Scholarship Opportunities
For more information about scholarships or how to apply, please contact the Office of Admissions and Scholarships at admitlaw@ku.edu.
Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship
Award: $5,000
Eligibility: Students enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school pursuing a career in intellectual property law; member of a historically underrepresented group in IP law (including race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability); exemplary writing and oral communication skills; leadership qualities and community involvement.
Mark T. Banner Scholarship
Award: $5,000
Eligibility: Scholarships will be awarded to students who will be 2Ls and 3Ls in the Fall 2012 semester at an ABA-accredited law school who have demonstrated a commitment to the pursuit of a career in intellectual property law. Scholarship recipients will be selected based on commitment, qualities, and actions toward ethics, civility and professionalism; academic merit; written and oral communication skills; leadership qualities and community involvement; and membership in a historically underrepresented group in IP law (including, race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability).Berkley Memorial Scholarship in Law
Award: Amount varies
Eligibility: Academic and/or need-based scholarships available to KU law students with preference given to students from Mitchell, Dickinson, Graham, Lincoln, Osborne, Ottawa, Rooks and Saline counties in Kansas.
To apply: Submit a brief letter of interest and resume to the Office of Admissions, Room 205. The letter of interest should address your qualifications and other reasons you should be selected. Please make sure to reference Berkley Memorial Scholarship in your letter.
C.L. Clark Scholarship
Award: $700
Eligibility: Applicants must 1) be currently enrolled as law students at the University of Kansas School of Law or Washburn University School of Law, 2) be graduates of a high school located in Saline County, Kansas, 3) have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5, and 4) have financial need.
2011 Roxanne Barton Conlin Scholarship Award
Award: $2,000
Eligibility: female law student who has at least completed her first full semester of law school and is entering her second or third year of law school in the fall of 2011.
Constangy, Brooks & Smith Diversity Scholars Awards
Award: $3,000
Eligibility: Must be a second-year student enrolled in an accredited law school that is located in one of the following three (3) regions: Southern (Georgia, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee); Mid-West/West Coast (Texas, California, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin) and Eastern (North Carolina, Virginia/Washington, D.C., New Jersey and Massachusetts). Selection criteria will include academic achievement (minimum GPA of 2.7); commitment to diversity in the community, or in your school or work environment; and personal achievement in overcoming challenges to reach your goals.DRI 2011 Law Student Diversity Scholarship
Award: $10,000
Eligibility: Candidate must be a full-time student who best demonstrates 1) academic excellence, 2) service to the profession, 3) service to the community, and 4) service to the cause of diversity.
Mike Eidson Scholarship
(sponsored by the American Association for Justice Women for Justice Education Fund)
Eligibility: a rising 3L female student who has demonstrated a commitment to a career as a trial lawyer, along with dedication to upholding and defending the principles of the Constitution, and to the concept of a fair trial, the adversary system, and a just result for the injured, the accused, and those whose rights are jeopardized.
Foulston Siefkin 2L Scholarship
Award: $5,000
Eligibility: Second-year KU Law student with strong academic merit; preference given to Kansas residents.
The Justice Alex M. Fromme Memorial Scholarship
Award: $1,000
Eligibility: This scholarship is an annual award given by the Kansas Bar Foundation to a law student at the University of Kansas School of Law or Washburn University School of Law. Applicants should demonstrate a bona fide intention to practice law in Kansas. The award will be based in part upon the student's merit or professor recommendation rather than financial need. Applicants must have recommendations from two active KBA members; this can include professors if active with the KBA. Applicants also should exhibit professionalism and high character in their personal and professional lives. Students of culturally diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Award: Amount varies
Eligibility: The applicant: 1) must exhibit proven academic merit, financial need and community involvement; 2) be a permanent resident of the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area; 3) must have been accepted or is enrolled in a fully accredited college or university and is working toward an associate, bachelor or graduate degree; 4) must be enrolled as a full-time student (minimum 12 credit hours for undergraduate and minimum 9 credit hours for graduate); and 5) must be Hispanic.
2011-12 Michael H. Hoeflich and Karen J. Nordheden Scholarship
Eligibility: current 1L or 2L with a demonstrated commitment to public service and social justice who will commit to spend at least part of his or her career in doing this full-time.
Jackson County Bar Association Kit Carson Roque Jr. Scholarship
Award: $1,000 minimum
Eligibility: Member of Kansas or Missouri chapter of Black Law Students Association (BLSA); must have completed first year of law school, 2.0 minimum cumulative GPA, and in good standing with the law school.
Kansas Bar Foundation - Case, Moses, Zimmerman & Martin P.A. Scholarship
Award: $1,000
Eligibility: Second-year student at KU, Washburn, or Creighton law schools
Criteria: Bona fide intention to practice law in Kansas, participation in school and community activities, financial need, and academic achievement.Karlin Law Scholarship
Award: $2,000
Eligibility: Law student who is a Kansas high school graduate and intends to practice law in Kansas.
KC Legal Scholarship
Award: $1,000
Eligibility: KU Law student who plans to work in pursuit of equal treatment of and justice for the LGBT community.
Frank H. Lang Scholarship
Award: $1,000
Eligibility: Open to persons presently in first year at law school or applying for admission to law school. The successful applicant must have graduated from a high school in one of the following California counties: Kern, Tulare, Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced, Mariposa, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Tuolumne or Calaveras.
The Richard Linn American Inn of Court Mark T. Banner Scholarship for Law Students
Award: $5,000 for 2011-12
Eligibility: Commitment to the pursuit of a career in IP law; commitment, qualities and action toward ethics, civility and professionalism; academic merit; written and oral communication skills; leadership qualities and community involvement; member of a historically underrepresented group in IP law (including race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability).
The Robert Masur Fellowship for Civil Liberties
Award: $1,000 honorarium
Eligibility: first-year law students; intend to carry out significant activities during the summer (in between their first and second year) in the areas of civil rights and/or civil liberties. Proposed activities may include a writing or research project, work with a public interest organization in the areas of civil rights or civil liberties, work on a civil rights or civil liberties law case under the supervision of a faculty member or lawyer, or any other work in the areas of civil rights or civil liberties.
Donald O'Brien Scholarship
Award: $1,000
Eligibility: First- or second-year law student with Iowa ties who have demonstrated a commitment to the public interest and civil rights.
Polsinelli, Shalton, Flanigan & Suelthaus Diversity Scholarship
Award: $7,500 for the 2010-11 academic year. (The scholarship may be renewed for the recipient's second and third year if funds are available, the recipient maintains a 2.0 GPA and the recipient otherwise remains in good standing.)
Eligibility: First-year student enrolled at the University of Kansas School of Law from a racial or ethnic background that is underrepresented in the practice of law.
Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Scholarship Program
Award: $1,500-$11,000
Eligibility: A law student enrolled full-time who is undertaking the study of natural resources law or who can demonstrate a commitment to study natural resources law is eligible to apply for this scholarship.
Maxine S. Thompson Memorial Student Scholarship
Award: $1,000
Eligibility: Must be a law student at the University of Kansas School of Law or Washburn University School of Law and must demonstrate a bona fide intention to practice law in Kansas. Preference given to those committing to practice in rural Kansas. The award will be based, in part, upon the student's merit or professor recommendation rather than financial need.
Suzanne Valdez & Stephen McAllister Scholarship
Award: $2,500
Eligibility: 2L or 3L enrolled at the KU School of Law. Preference will be given to out-of-state students with a demonstrated commitment to public service and/or community service.
Topeka Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Scholarship
Award: $500
Eligibility: 1) be a third-year law student at an accredited school of law within the State of Kansas; 2) anticipate applying for the Kansas Bar Examination; 3) demonstrate a commitment to the practice of law in Topeka, Kan.; 4) display excellence in academic merit, community service and moral character; and 5) be a student member of the Topeka Bar Association (free for law students, see application below).
J.L. Weigand, Jr. Notre Dame Legal Education Trust Scholarship
Award: Full tuition & fees, books, and room & board allowance
Eligibility: Long-term Kansas residents (minimum of 10 years residency)
Wichita Women Attorneys Association Book Scholarship
Award: $750
Eligibility: The Wichita Women Attorneys Association Book Scholarship is available for second- and third-year students.Winterburg Fund Scholarship
The Francis M. and A. LaVerne Winterburg Fund, established in 1991 with a gift from Francis and LaVerne Winterburg, awards scholarships to law students interested in becoming legal information specialists, law librarians, research attorneys or legal informatics experts.
Award: $1,000
Eligibility: 1L, 2L or 3L students with strong research skills; must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 or above, preference given to students with financial need.