Visiting Student Financial Aid

USF Students Who Are Visiting Another Law School

USF law students who plan on visiting for a semester, a full year, or a summer program at another ABA-accredited law school are eligible to receive financial aid through USF as long as the host school agrees to enter into a consortium agreement with the USF School of Law. Financial aid will consist of federal and private loans for the fall and spring semesters. Only private loans and Graduate PLUS loans are available during the summer unless the USF law student is graduating the following fall semester.

USF students awarded any USF scholarship and/or grant are not allowed to use such funds while attending another ABA accredited law school as a visiting student during the normal academic year or during the summer.

In order to be eligible for financial aid as a visiting student, USF law students are required to complete the following:

1. Receive permission from the USF School of Law associate dean of academic affairs granting approval to visit another ABA- accredited law school.
2. Receive official letter of admission as a visiting student at another ABA-accredited law school.
3. Submit a FAFSA application for the appropriate academic year (for example, students needing financial assistance for the 2018/2019 academic year, including summer 2019 are required to complete the 2018/2019 FAFSA application and should do so as soon as possible).
4. Inform the law school financial aid administrator of your intention to visit at another ABA-accredited law school. If visiting during the summer, USF students must submit an Intent to Enroll for Summer Form (ITE) to the law school financial aid administrator. The financial aid administrator will forward a USF School of Law consortium agreement to the host school's financial aid office requesting enrollment and cost of attendance information. This form must be returned to the USF financial aid administrator in order for USF to process your financial aid. Law students should inform the law school financial aid administrator of their intention to visit at another ABA-accredited law school as soon they are offered admission to the host school.

Once a consortium agreement is received and processed by the law school financial aid administrator, the law student will be notified in writing. Federal and private loan funds are disbursed directly to USF on behalf of the student once each semester for the appropriate visiting term or in two equal installments, once each semester, if visiting for a full year. The earliest scheduled disbursement date is typically the week before the USF School of Law classes begin. The USF Student Enrollment Services Office will issue a tuition payment check to the host school once the loan funds are received by the University. Any excess loan funds are then refunded to the student.

USF law students are responsible for forwarding official enrollment and tuition payment verification to the law school financial aid administrator in order for a check to be issued to the host school and for any excess loan funds to be refunded to the law student. The USF student must have a completed an Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) authorization form on file with the USF Student Enrollment Services Office to receive funds electronically. Otherwise, a paper check refund will be issued to the law student for any excess loan refunds.

Law students visiting at another ABA-accredited law school are responsible for submitting verification of enrollment at the host school to all of their lenders, federal and private. Failure to do so will result in an early repayment schedule of both federal and private loans.

Visiting Students Attending USF

Law students from other ABA-accredited law schools who plan on visiting USF, including the Summer Abroad programs, Intensive Advocacy Program (IAP) and regular summer session may be eligible for financial aid assistance through their home school if their home school enters into a consortium agreement with the USF School of Law.

Visiting law students should contact their home school's financial aid office and request that a consortium agreement be sent to the USF School of Law financial aid administrator. Once the consortium agreement is received, the law school financial aid administrator will certify the amount of funding needed for the designated USF program. It is the visiting student's home school who will determine exactly what type of aid and how much aid will be available to their respective student. If financial aid is available, it is the visiting student's responsibility to insure that their home school submits the appropriate tuition billing payment to the USF Student Enrollment Services Office by the appropriate deadline.

Visiting students are solely responsible for all tuition billing charges. Late charges may be assessed to those visiting students who do not pay their summer tuition bill by the appropriate due date. In order to meet the appropriate tuition deadline, consortium agreements should be sent to the USF School of Law Office of Financial Aid as soon as possible.