Law Financial Aid

The Office of Law Financial Aid is committed to providing all law students financial aid assistance to keep you informed and explore all funding opportunities and resources.  

USF ID Number

In order to better assist law students and reply to your financial aid inquiries in a timely manner, please be sure to include your USF ID Number in any email inquiries to the Law Financial Aid Office.  In addition, any requests to update your financial aid record should come directly from your USF email account. We cannot process any requests for assistance sent from your personal email accounts.

Law Financial Aid Walk-in, Appointments (In-Person, Virtual)

The Law School’s Financial Aid Office is taking the necessary measures to implement and improve our customer service strategies. We want you to have the best experience with our office so we would like to provide information on new changes to our customer service support methods. 

Our office will be available for in-person visits and appointments as well as virtual appointments. Getting in-person assistance is easy.

You can schedule an appointment on the following methods below:

1.    Text USFDonsLAW to 415-914-9982 then text the code for the type of service you wish to receive help with.
2.    Day-to-day appointment. Make an appointment online through the Home Kiosk.   Enter your Name and phone number.
3.    Future virtual appointments (24 hours and later).

Spring 2026 Financial Aid Disbursement and Refund

The Disbursement date is the earliest possible date that funds from both federal and private sources can be sent to the University each semester.  Funds are sent electronically by each provider in two equal installments, once each semester. Federal regulations require that aid be disbursed no earlier than approximately one week before the start of each term. Scholarship funds are also disbursed at the same time federal and private loan funds are disbursed.

The earliest scheduled disbursement date for both federal and private sources for the Spring 2026 is Monday, January 5, 2026.

Once funds disbursed, your spring semester bill is paid off and any remaining funds left over after your bill is paid, is refunded to you.   Refund processing will begin on Monday, January 12 and continue the following week. Any direct deposit refunds can be expected in your designated bank account 2-5 business days AFTER refund processing begins. For students not enrolled in direct deposit, paper check refunds can be expected 7-10 business days AFTER refund processing begins. Information on enrolling in direct deposit can be found online at: https://myusf.usfca.edu/billing-tuition/refunds. 

***Please note that the earliest that a student can expect to receive a direct deposit aid refund in their bank account may not be until the week of January 12. Be sure to plan your finances accordingly for the beginning of the semester as aid refunds may not be available until the first two-week of classes.
 

Applying for Financial/FAFSA for Fall 2026/Spring 2027

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA, for the Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 academic year has been available online since October 1.  The FAFSA can be filed at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Our Title IV code is 001325 and must be included in your FAFSA application.  

Applying for Financial Aid/FAFSA Application for Fall 2025/Spring 2026

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA, for the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 academic year is now available online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.  All students who seek to receive federal financial aid for the 2025-26 academic year are required to complete the new 2025-26 FAFSA at www.studentaid.gov.  Our Title IV code is 001325 and must be included in your FAFSA application.  

Financial Aid award notification for the Fall 2025/Spring 2026 will begin in early April for current students who have completed a 2025-26 FAFSA as long as the 2025-26 FAFSA is completed and USF receives your FAFSA information by the priority date March 1, 2025. Award information will be available to view online via your myUSF student portal. You will be sent an email notification at that time by the Law Financial Aid Office indicating that you can review your financial aid award online via your myUSF online student portal.

IMPORTANT: The 2025-26 FAFSA can be completed after March 1 priority deadline, and you will still be able to receive federal educational loan aid for this year. However, delaying completing your FAFSA will affect when you receive your award notice.  The FAFSA should be completed as soon as possible in order to receive the maximum financial aid consideration for 2025-26.

The FAFSA should be completed as soon as possible but no later than the priority date was March 1, 2025 in order to receive the maximum financial aid consideration for 2025-26 (this date is especially important for those continuing students who wish to be considered for the Federal Work Study award).

NOTE: It is not too late to apply for federal loan aid for the 2025-26 academic year.  The priority deadline to apply for a 2025-26 FAFSA is April 1, 2026.   

Bar Loan Information 

Spring 2025 graduating students can apply for private bar loans to help with living expenses during the July 2025 bar preparation period. These loans are private lender loans subject to credit approval. Information is available at the Law Financial Aid Office or online.

Disclaimer: USF does not recommend or promote any of these lenders. The list simply represents lenders who provided the bar examination loan to students attending the University of San Francisco School of Law. It is up to you to decide which lender to use to obtain your bar examination loan. 

See lender websites for complete, and up-to-date details. Common Lenders Offer Bar Examination Loans are as follows:

Important: Compare lenders carefully to evaluate interest rates, fees, and repayment options.  

Upcoming Private Scholarship Deadlines   

MPOWER Global Citizen Scholarship (DACA/International Students)
We’re looking to fund students with high potential as a leader and advocate. In recognition of the extraordinary potential of these students, we’ve created the MPOWER Global Citizen Scholarship. We’ve intentionally designed this scholarship program to be as broad as possible to match the broad, diverse experiences of international students. There’s no requirement to be an MPOWER borrower to apply!
Deadline: January 31, 2026
Amount: $2,000 - $10,000

National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Scholarship
Each year the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) awards multiple scholarships to students showing dedication to the pursuit of higher education in diverse areas of study including history, economics, law, political science, medicine, nursing, occupational and physical therapy, elementary and secondary education, chemistry, math, science and English. 
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: January 31, 2026

P.J.C. Lindfors Legal Studies Fund 
Pertti LIndfors, a Finnish-American Attorney in San Francisco, established the Pertti Lindfors legal studies funds and P.J.C Lindfors Legal Scholarship to encourage cross-cultural study and understanding by law students in Finland and the United States.
Amount: $1,000 - $3,000
Deadline: February 1, 2026

Scholarship at O’Brien & Eggleston PLLC
O’Brien & Eggleston PLLC is excited to announce its annual scholarship, available to students who will be attending school in the fall of 2026 as either pre-law undergraduates or first-year law students. This $1,000 scholarship aims to assist students with the expenses associated with attending a school anywhere in the United States.
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: February 15, 2026

MELMED LAW GROUP, PC COLLEGIATE SCHOLARSHIP
The employment lawyers at Melmed Law Group P.C. proudly support the pursuit of success through higher education. We also understand that higher education can be a challenging financial investment for some, and we’d like to offer our support. To that end, our office offers an annual scholarship to one college student at the end of February of each year.
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: February 15, 2026

Bowman and Brooke, Future Defense Lawyer Scholarship
The Bowman and Brooke Foundation has established a scholarship program to assist students currently enrolled in first year of Law School Studies (1L) who plan to enroll full-time at an ABA–accredited law school for the entire upcoming academic year.
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: February 26, 2026

Citywide Law Group Scholarship
Citywide Law Group is proud to offer a $1,500 scholarship to a current or aspiring law student. Los Angeles personal injury attorney Sherwin Arzani is a graduate of University of Michigan School of Law and has dedicated his career to helping accident victims.
Amount: $1,500
Deadline: March 1, 2026

Wind Law Scholarship
Wind Law, LLC is excited to announce its annual scholarship for students planning to attend school in the fall of 2024 as either a pre-law undergraduate or a first-year law student. The $1,000 scholarship aims to assist with expenses for students accepted into a school anywhere in the United States.
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: March 15, 2026

Sidney B. Williams, Jr. Scholars Program (NEW Incoming Fall 2026 Student)
The Sidney B. Williams, Jr. Scholar Program, the Foundation’s Flagship DEI Initiative, Assists STEM-Educated Individuals seeking admission to an ABA-accredited law school with an interest in the advancement of racial or ethnic groups that are underrepresented in the patent law profession in the United States. The Scholar Program Offers Selected Scholars $30,000 Law School Tuition Grant Awards And Provides Financial And Non-Financial Assistance To Scholars During The Law School Admissions Process And Throughout Law School.
Amount: up to $30,000
Deadline: March 31, 2026

Sarita and Claire Wright Lucas Foundation Scholarship (Bar Takers)
Law school debt is well documented. What’s not so well known is the need for additional funds to prepare for the Bar exam. In addition to the cost of a prep course – at about $5,000 – many recent graduates must take out personal loans to cover living expenses as they take on the full-time, unpaid work of preparing for the exam. Unlike many law graduates who head to a private practice, those who choose to work for public agencies are on their own financially to prep for the Bar exam.  Those upfront initial costs are steep enough to steer people away from public sector legal work.
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: March 31, 2026

Earl Warren Shearman & Sterling Scholarship
Earl Warren Shearman & Sterling Scholarships are two special stipends for African-American law students. The scholarship is sponsored by Shearman & Sterling, a large commercial law firm with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and several foreign locations. Recipients are assigned attorney-mentors from the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) and from Shearman & Sterling, and gain experience working with LDF on issues related to civil rights and public interest law.
Amount: $15,000
Deadline: May 1, 2026