Administrative Announcements February 16 - 22, 2016
Administrative Announcements February 16 - 22, 2016
Externship Programs
Summer 2016 Externship Applications are due by Tuesday, April 19, 2016. Updated Summer 2016 Externship Applications are available online and in the Externship Programs Office (KN 235). Questions, please call 415-422-4467 or email akgreen@usfca.edu.
Financial Aid Office
Debt Management Seminar – Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Individual Consultations
The School of Law has once again, obtained the services of Dr. Jeffrey Hanson, a nationally recognized financial advisor, to present an important Debt Management seminar titledPublic Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)*, on Monday, February 22nd from 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm in KH, Room 103.
If you are curious about the federal student loan forgiveness program, or you plan on doing public interest work, this presentation will provide you with the important information designed to help you understand your loans. Learning strategies early while in law school will help reduce the stress associated with borrowing by equipping you with a financial action plan, as well as help you determine the amount of loans to borrow. Dr. Hanson will be providing you with comprehensive loan repayment options and debt management advice.
If you have any additional questions regarding the presentation, please feel free to email Rosanna Woods, the Assistant Director for Law Financial Aid or call 415.422.6210, or stop by the Law Financial Aid Office at 238 Kendrick Hall (2nd Floor).
Dr. Hanson will also meet individually with our students (and their partners) in private counseling appointments (40 minutes), February 22, 23, 24, 25 (M, Tue, W, Th).
These appointments should reduce the stress associated with borrowing by equipping students with a financial action plan. Dr. Hanson will explain how to get the most out of your financial life (during and after law school), by providing you with loan repayment options and debt management advice. These appointments are extremely popular with medical and law students across the country.
Appointments are available to our students free of charge and are made on a first come, first serve basis. Graduating students (3L and 4L) will have first priority for appointments. You may book appointments here. The schedule fills very quickly and there is no wait list, so if you’re interested please book as soon as possible. If you have any additional questions regarding the presentation or the counseling appointments, please feel free to email Rosanna Woods, the Assistant Director for Law Financial Aid or call 415.422.6210, or stop by the Law Financial Aid Office at 238 Kendrick Hall (2nd Floor).
*Lunch will be provided! Please RSVP, here by February 12th.
Fall 2016-17 Financial Aid
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA, for the Fall 2016 & Spring 2017 academic year is now available online. All students who wish to receive financial aid for the 2016-17 academic year are required to complete the new FAFSA. The FAFSA should be completed as soon as possible but no later than March 1, 2016 in order to receive the maximum financial aid consideration for 2016-17 (this date is especially important for those continuing students who wish to be considered for the Federal Work Study award). You can access the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Our Title IV code is 001325 and must be included in your FAFSA application.
Financial aid awards for the 2016-17 academic year will be made be made available to continuing law students by early April 2016 as long as the 2016-17 FAFSA is completed and USF receives your FAFSA information by mid-March 2016. You will be sent an email notification at that time by the University One Stop Financial Aid Office at that time indicating that you can review your financial aid award online via your myUSF online student portal.
The University Financial Aid Office will begin downloading 2016-17 FAFSA information for all USF students in early March. If you recently completed a 2016-17 FAFSA, we will not be able to verify receipt of your 2016-17 FAFSA until that time.
Please note that all students including those who are currently receiving financial aid must complete an updated FAFSA every year in order to be considered for financial aid. In addition, those students who wish to be considered for the Graduate PLUS loan program for the Fall 2016 & Spring 2017 academic year, must also complete a new PLUS loan application for each academic year. Graduate PLUS loan applications for the 2016-17 academic year are available online at www.studentloans.gov. Students can begin applying for a PLUS Loan only AFTER you have completed a FAFSA and have been offered the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan and have “accepted” the Unsubsidized Loan online via your myUSF student portal.
Spring 2016 Tuition Payment Deadline
Spring 2016 Tuition payment was due on January 2, 2016. The USF One Stop Student Accounts Office has already posted your Spring 2016 tuition bill on your USF student account. You can view your bill online via your myUSF student account. Payment must be made by personal funds, Authorized Financial Aid, a combination of personal funds and Authorized Financial Aid, or you must be signed up for the payment plan by January 2, 2016: https://myusf.usfca.edu/onestop/billing-tuition/payment-plan
IMPORTANT- Failure to make your tuition payment by the above payment methods will result in late fees assessed on your student account by the USF One Stop Office and a Hold will be placed on your student record. The Hold will prevent you from receiving certain services from the University and Law School, including the opportunity to Add or Drop a class, request official transcripts and register for upcoming summer and/or fall classes if applicable. Holds will be lifted only AFTER tuition reconciliation is completed.
Important Information for 2L, 3L and 4L Part Time Students Regarding Add/Drop
Late registration and Add/Drop began on Thursday, January 7, 2016, AFTER your spring financial aid disbursed and AFTER had already been processed for a financial aid refund. Adjustments to your financial aid may be necessary if any of the following situations occur during Add/Drop:
If you Add a class AFTER your refund has been processed, you will be immediately billed for the additional units. You will need to submit a payment with personal funds to pay for the additional units (or make an personal payment using the funds you received as a refund). If you already received the maximum financial aid for the semester BEFORE you added class, you can request additional financial aid to cover the cost of the additional units. For more information, please contact Rosanna Woods, the Assistant Director for Law Financial Aid at rlwoods@usfca.edu or call 415.422.6210.
If you Drop a class AFTER your refund has been processed, with the intention of adding another class with the same unit value, you must Add and Drop on the same day, otherwise you run the risk of a an outstanding tuition balance due on your USF student account.
If you Drop a class after your refund has been processed, and you do not intend to add another class, you will create a credit on your USF student account. You must notify the Law Financial Aid Office immediately by contacting Rosanna woods, the Assistant Director for Law Financial Aid, at the contact information above. Otherwise you will be inadvertently issued a refund for this credit, which you will be required to repay the University since you are not eligible to receive financial aid for this dropped class.
Important: The Law Financial Aid Office will conduct an audit of all Part Time students' financial aid records after the February 1, 2016 census date (last day to withdraw without penalty). If your financial aid for the spring semester is not appropriate for the unit load you are registered for, we will make the necessary adjustments to your aid and you will be notified via email. Please remember that any over-award (receiving financial aid in excess of your unit load), will result in the USF One Stop Office returning those funds to the lender and creating a balance due on your USF student account. It is critically important that you review your student account after the census date to insure that your account is reconciled. Any unpaid balance will result in late fees assessed on your student account and a Hold placed on your student record, which will prevent you from registering for the upcoming fall semester.
Upcoming Scholarship Deadlines
California Bar Foundation Public Interest Bar Exam Scholarship
Through the Diversity in the Public Interest Scholarship, the Foundation awards BarBri Bar exam review courses (valued at more than $4,000) and cash awards to recent and soon-to-be diverse graduates of California law schools.
Award Amount: Varies
Deadline: 2/16/2016
http://www.calbarfoundation.org/bar-exam-scholarship.html
Agnes Jones Jackson Scholarship
Applicants for the Jones Johnson Scholarship must be a member of the NAACP and under 25 years of age. Awards are based on GPA and academic achievement.
Award Amount: Up to $2,000
Deadline: March 2016
http://www.poisefoundation.org/programs/scholarships.html
California Bar Diversity Scholarship
The California Bar Foundation's Diversity Scholarship financially supports first-year California law students with the goal of furthering diversity in the legal profession. Diversity includes a broad array of backgrounds and life experiences, including students from groups or with skills or attributes that are underrepresented in the legal profession, and specifically including students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Award Amount: $7,500
Deadline: Apps Available March 2016
http://www.calbarfoundation.org/diversity-scholarship.html
Chicana / Latina Foundation Scholarship Program
Each year the Chicana Latina Foundation awards merit-based scholarships to Latina college students, valued at $1,500 dollars each. This year we are delighted to offer 31 scholarships.
Award Amount: $1,500
Deadline: March 2016
Farella Braun + Martel 1L Diversity Scholarship
Applicants must be current first-year, full or part-time (attending first-year classes) law students who are students of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community, disabled, or whose background or experience would otherwise contribute to the diversity of the legal profession.
Award Amount: $10,000
Deadline: March 2016
http://www.fbm.com/Diversity_Scholarship_Program/
La Raza Lawyers Association-Central Valley Chapter/Hon. Mario Olmos Memorial Scholarship
Applicants must be presently enrolled in the first, second, third or fourth year of legal study. Application materials can be picked up in the Law Financial Aid Office.
Award Amount: $1,000 to $3,000
Deadline: 03/04/2016
LULAC National Scholarship Fund
The LULAC National Scholarship Fund was established to provide scholarships to qualified Hispanic students attending accredited colleges, universities, and graduate schools in the United States.
Award Amount: $250 to $2,000
Deadline: March 31 of each year
http://www.lnesc.org/site/338/Scholarships/LULAC-National-Scholarship-Fund
If you have any questions related to financial aid, please feel free to contact the Law Financial Aid Office at 415.422.6210 or email lawfinaid@usfca.edu
Office of Student Affairs
Free Registration for TEN law students to attend the Annual Trino Grillo Retreat
Each year USF School of Law students and faculty partner with other regional law schools for the Trina Grillo Public Interest and Social Justice Law Retreat. The weekend-long event is a forum for public-interest minded law students to network with students, faculty, and practitioners from around the country.
As a consortium school, the School of Law will sponsor attendance for up to 10 students at this year's retreat, hosted by University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Law on March 5-6, 2016. Students must register with the Deans' Office by February 15.
Please contact Megan Watt at mwatt@usfca.edu for more information.
Clinic Volunteers Needed
Join OneJustice and the San Francisco Pathways to Citizenship Initiative, along with other Bay Area organizations for a MEGA citizen workshop in San Francisco! Get hands on experience and client-facing experience! This event counts towards PILF hours!
When: Saturday, February 27 from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Where: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
You will assist with form filling, screening, interpreting, logistics, and more! Training and food will be provided. No previous experience required! To sign up, email OneJustice at justicebus@one-justice.org with your graduation year!