William Mitchell Scholarships

Our robust scholarship program provides a collection of scholarship opportunities to students from all walks of life. Your application for admission will be thoughtfully evaluated for both admission and scholarship awards. Scholarships are awarded based on a range of factors including previous academic excellence, professional experience, military service, other service and leadership experience, personal background and experiences, and interest in particular areas of the law. Notification of a scholarship award is included in your admission letter.

North Star Scholarships

North Star Scholarships provide $10,000 a year to students who enroll in the law school’s hybrid program. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must intend to practice law in an area of the country currently underserved by local lawyers, including a rural area, a reservation, or a small town or city.

Native Justice Scholarship

The Native Justice Scholarship guarantees that eligible students will pay no more than $10,000 in tuition each year. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must enroll in the hybrid program, pursue the Indian Law track, and provide sufficient documentation to establish that he or she is either an enrolled member of a federally-recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native entity or recognized by his or her American Indian or Alaska Native community of residence or origin as being American Indian; or demonstrate in his or her application a strong interest in practicing Indian law.

A legal education is a significant investment. William Mitchell’s Financial Aid Office staff helps you understand your financial aid options and resources and welcomes your questions!

Scholarships, federal work-study eligibility, federal and private loans, and federal and state veterans’ benefits are administered through the Financial Aid Office.

Financing Your Legal Education

CONTACT THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE

Financial Aid Office staff welcomes your questions and can help you understand your financial options, available resources, and what scholarship assistance you may be eligible to receive.

651-290-6403finaid@wmitchell.edu

SCHOLARSHIPS

Many Mitchell students receive significant scholarship assistance that greatly reduces their tuition costs. Last year, we were able to award 100 percent of our incoming students a renewable scholarship. Most scholarships are awarded as a percentage of tuition, range from 15 to 100 percent, and are renewable based on maintaining good academic standing.

Veterans Benefits

Mitchell is a designated Military Friendly School. We participate in the VA Yellow Ribbon Program, a provision of the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance act of 2008. We administer all veteran’s benefit programs including Chapter 33,30, 35, 1607, 1606, and the Minnesota GI program.

Federal Work Study

Mitchell students work on-or off-campus to earn part of the cost of attending Mitchell. Off-campus employment, typically with legal services employers, provides valuable experience and community networking opportunities. On-campus employment is available as department clerks, research assistants, and library staff.

Federal Perkins Loan

Up to $8,000 is available annually from this income-sensitive program. Program funds are limited and subject to annual funding.

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Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan

Up to $20,500 annually is available from this loan program. Complete loan term details are available on our website.

Federal Direct PLUS Loan

After other aid is in place, Federal Grad PLUS Loans fund up to the maximum cost of the program including tuition and living expenses. Complete loan term details are available on our website. This federal loan is credit-based. Contact the Financial Aid Office with any questions or concerns you may have about credit worthiness for the Grad PLUS Loan.

Federal Loan Repayment Options

Federal loan repayment options include payments scaled to your income, Income-Based Repayment (IBR), and a loan forgiveness program based on public service employment, Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). The Minnesota Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) provides repayment assistance for both federal and non-federal loans to legal aid attorneys.

Private Non-Federal Loans

Commercial banks and credit unions provide non-federal student loans. The loans are credit based, with varying terms. Please note that private loans cannot participate in federal income-based repayment and loan forgiveness programs. Be sure to understand the interest rate, fees, and repayment terms of any loan you are considering. Loan amounts are counted in the financial aid total, and funds are disbursed through your student account.

COST OF ATTENDANCE

The annual cost of attendance is your actual tuition costs plus our budget for living expenses. Aid is available to pay all of your law school costs up to the cost of attendance.

For the most current cost of attendance information please see William Mitchell’s website at www.wmitchell.edu/admissions.

The optional living expense portion of the annual cost of attendance is designed to be a modest, adequate budget and is sufficient for most students. Increases to the cost of attendance can be made for reasonable child-care expenses, a one-time computer purchase of up to $2,000, uninsured medical expenses, or student health insurance premiums for the months of academic enrollment.

AID NOTIFICATION

After you are admitted and Financial Aid has received your FAFSA, Financial Aid will email you a financial aid information letter. Once we deposit, you will receive an email that includes your Mitchell ID number. The ID number provides access to William Mitchell’s interactive financial aid website. We offer aid to pay both tuition costs remaining after scholarships are applied and the estimated living expense budget. Through the website, you may accept as much—or as little—of the aid as you wish.

CHECKLIST

Secure a federal Personal Identification Number (PIN) www.pin.ed.gov Complete and submit the 2015–16 FAFSA online by May 1, 2015 www.fafsa.ed.govMitchell’s FAFSA Code: G02391 Provide requested documentation to William Mitchell’s Financial Aid Office finaid@wmitchell.edu IMPORTANT DATES

January 1 The earliest the federal FAFSA can be filed

Complete and file your federal tax returns for the previous year as soon as possible after January 1, so that actual income information can be used on the FAFSA. May 1 Financial aid priority deadline

July 15 Latest date to submit loan applications to avoid processing delays

Financing Your Legal Education