Types of Aid

UCI Law Scholarships

Every J.D. student admitted to the UCI School of Law is considered for UCI Law Scholarship. The scholarship will be offered to those whose academic records demonstrate exceptional promise for outstanding law school performance.

The UCI Law Scholarship is renewed up to a total of three years (six semesters) of full-time enrollment, and the student is to remain in good academic standing at the end of each year. For students enrolled in a concurrent degree program with five semesters of full-time J.D. enrollment, their scholarships will be credited toward J.D. tuition in equal amounts for only five semesters. J.D. students enrolled in a concurrent degree program with fewer than six semesters of full-time law enrollment will forfeit one semester of scholarship.

UCI Law Public Service Scholarships

As an expression of the law school's commitment to supporting students interested in the public sector admitted J.D. students may be considered for a Public Service Scholarship by submitting a separate application demonstrating their history of public service and dedication to entering a career in public interest law after graduation.

The Public Service Scholarship is offered to a few incoming students and is renewable for the 2L and 3L years. This scholarship requires the student to remain in good academic standing at the end of each year, work both their 1L and 2L summers in the public interest, and work at least three years in public interest law after graduation.

UCI Law Donor-Funded Scholarships

UCI Law's donor-supported program consists of numerous endowments and scholarships funded by alumni and friends of the school, as well as law firms in our community. The applications will be available following an email announcement in early summer.

• Anteaters in Law Chapter UCIAA Scholarship
  
• Crowell & Moring UCI Law Scholarship
• Lord Abbett & Co., LLC/UCI School of Law Diversity Scholarship
• First-Generation Law Students from Carol and Eugene Choi
• Carrie Menkel-Meadow and Robert Meadow Endowed Public Interest Scholarship
• Torkzadeh Family Endowed Law Scholarship

Outside (Private) Scholarships

To assist you in your search for outside private scholarships, we have provided a list of scholarship opportunities awarded by outside agencies. All outside agency scholarships have specific application procedures, criteria and deadlines. We encourage you to let us know of any other scholarships you find that may be available to others.

If you are awarded any outside agency scholarship, please advise the Office of Student Financial Services so that we may assist you in determining how the scholarship will affect your cost of attendance.

For a list of outside scholarships, please go to our Outside Scholarships page.

Scholarship Retention Data

The ABA Standard 509 requires all schools with conditional scholarships to post a conditional scholarship retention chart. The ABA’s definition of a conditional scholarship is: “any financial aid award, the retention of which is dependent upon the student maintaining a minimum grade point average or class standing, other than that ordinarily required to remain in good academic standing.” Scholarships are not conditional at UC Irvine School of Law. Renewal of scholarships requires good academic standing and full-time enrollment at the UC Irvine School of Law.

UCI Law Academic Center Scholarships

At the end of their first year of law school, UCI Law 1L students in good academic standing may apply for the Academic Center Scholarships in the following areas:

• Environmental Law
• Center for Law, Equality and Race (CLEAR)
• International Law

Along with other benefits, Center Scholars are awarded an increase of $10,000 on their current UCI Law Scholarship for their second year of law school. Assuming they fulfill their responsibilities and invited back to return for their third year, they will again be awarded the $10,000 and other benefits for their third/final year of law school.

Please note: Total scholarship awarded by UCI Law cannot exceed actually billed and assessed tuition and fees. Enrolled students who are eligible for and receive any University of California approved waivers, will have their Center Scholarship adjusted accordingly.

UCI Law Public Service Scholarships

As an expression of the law school's commitment to supporting students interested in the public sector, continuing J.D. students may be considered for a Public Service Scholarship articulating their dedication for pursuing a career in public interest law after graduation.

The Public Service Scholarship is offered to select current students and is renewable for the duration of a student’s education at UCI Law. This scholarship requires the student to remain in good academic standing at the end of each year, work all remaining summers in the public interest, and work at least three years in public interest law after graduation.

The current student Public Service Scholarship application is distributed via e-mail to current students in March and is due by April 15. Awardees are notified by July 1.

UCI Law Donor-Funded Scholarships

UCI Law's donor-supported program consists of numerous endowments and scholarships funded by alumni and friends of the school, as well as law firms in our community. The applications will be available following an email announcement in early summer.

• Carrie Menkel-Meadow and Robert Meadow Endowed Public Interest Scholarship

• Lee/Kim Family Endowed Law Scholarship Initiative to End Family Violence

Outside (Private) Scholarships

To assist you in your search for outside private scholarships, we have provided a list of scholarship opportunities awarded by outside agencies. All outside agency scholarships have specific application procedures, criteria and deadlines. We encourage you to let us know of any other scholarships you find that may be available to others.

If you are awarded any outside agency scholarship, please advise the Office of Student Financial Services so that we may assist you in determining how the scholarship will affect your cost of attendance.

For a list of outside scholarships, please go to our Outside Scholarships page.

UC Irvine School of Law Need-Based Grants

To ensure that the law school remains financially accessible, UCI Law provides need-based grants to J.D. students to supplement other aid in an effort to decrease the potential debt burden incurred by students who have experienced or are experiencing extreme financial hardship. Students who wish to be considered for these need-based grants must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)  by the March 2 application deadline. Students not eligible to file a FAFSA and qualify for the AB540 fee exemption can submit the California Dream Application. The application is available at csac.ca.gov/california-dream-act .

Each student’s eligibility for a need-based grant is determined by utilizing the information submitted on the FAFSA and the California Dream Application. Eligibility for need-based grants is determined prior to the first year, and awards are automatically renewed up to a total of three years (six semesters), provided that full-time enrollment is maintained. Waiving the need to apply each year allows students to create a financial plan for all three years of the J.D. program while initial eligibility for need-based aid is subject to verification.

Native American Opportunity Plan

Starting in fall 2022, the University of California Native American Opportunity Plan ensures that in-state systemwide mandatory tuition and fees are fully covered for California residents who are members of federally recognized  Native American, American Indian and Alaska Native tribes.

To be eligible for this award, students must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Newly admitted or a current law school student
2. California resident
3. Enrolled member in a federally recognized Native American, American Indian and/or Alaska Native tribe
4. Enrolled in a state-supported UC degree program

The main campus Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will coordinate with the School of Law Office of Student Financial Services to identify eligible students. They will notify new and continuing students who might be eligible for funding under the Native American Opportunity Plan with guidance on the next steps. Potentially eligible students must submit tribal enrollment documentation from their federally recognized tribe or the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). All documents must be uploaded to ZotAid student portal. Please log in with your UCInetID and Password.

Documentation may include any of the following:

• Certification of tribal enrollment on tribal letterhead
• Enrollment/membership card that contains the tribal seal and/or official signature of a tribal leader
• Certification of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) if the CDIB includes tribal enrollment information
• Tribal identification card with an enrollment number

The Native American Opportunity Plan will fully cover UC systemwide tuition ($11,700) and Student Services Fees ($1,152) for eligible students. The maximum Native American Opportunity Plan award for the 2022-23 academic year is $12,852.

If you are already receiving the UCI Law Scholarship, Need-Based Grant, UCI Law Public Service Scholarship, and Donor-Funded Scholarship in the amount of the NAOP award, then the Native American Opportunity Plan promise has been satisfied. However, if your UCI Law scholarship award does not fully cover UC systemwide fees and Student Services Fees, your Native American Opportunity Plan will cover the difference with additional funding.

Examples:

1. Your law school gift aid is $15,000.  The Native American Opportunity Plan promise has been satisfied as your gift aid is greater than the NAOP award.
2. Your law school gift aid is $10,000.  You would receive an additional aid amount of $2,852 under the Native American Opportunity Plan.

Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon Program is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows degree-granting institutions in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to fund tuition expenses. More detailed information may be found at www.gibill.va.gov/.

UC Irvine School of Law is participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program and will provide funding for any gap in tuition and fees not already covered by the VA or other sources. Total aid including Yellow Ribbon Program awards may not exceed the total cost of tuition and fees.

Under the program, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will allow UCI Law to assist non-resident students with $5,000 of their non-resident tuition. Applicants will be considered and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and only 10 awards of up to $5,000 each will be made for each academic year, including participants carried over from the previous year. If chosen, the award is renewable for two more years as long as the eligibility requirements are met each year.

In order to apply for Yellow Ribbon benefits at UC Irvine School of Law, an applicant must:

1. Be admitted to UC Irvine School of Law
2. Have 100% of his/her benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill Program
3. Submit an application to the School of Law Financial Aid Office

Educational Benefits For Veterans And Their Dependents

Children and spouses of veterans who have a service-connected disability or died of a service-related cause may be eligible for one or more of the following programs: Chapter 35-VA Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program, VA Restored Entitlement Program for Survivors (REPS) and the California College Fee Waiver Program. Chapter 35 and REPS are Federal programs administered by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The California College Fee Waiver Program is a State program administered by the California Department of Veterans Affairs, with applications reviewed by each county's Veterans Service Office.

For further information, please visit Veteran Student Services.

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Programs

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans

A maximum of $20,500 per year is available. Interest accrues during periods of enrollment and continues through repayment, which begins six months following graduation or after a student’s enrollment status drops to less than half-time. 

 The latest rates and fees are available on-line at studentaid.ed.gov/types/loans/interest-rates.

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

Graduate and professional students are eligible for a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan. The Direct Graduate PLUS loan has no annual or aggregate loan limits (other than cost of attendance less other financial aid), and a credit review requirement. Just as with Direct Unsubsidized loans, Graduate PLUS Loan borrowers are eligible for in-school deferments if they are enrolled at least half-time. This loan has the same payment options, same deferments and forbearances, and same cancellation provisions as Direct Unsubsidized loans; interest accruals begin immediately upon disbursement.

All applicants must submit a FAFSA in order to be considered. Once the FAFSA has been processed and the data has been received by the admitting school, the borrower will receive electronic Financial Aid Notification indicating the types and amounts of financial aid offer.

All federal loans certified for students enrolled at UCI will be processed through the Federal Direct Loan Program. This program format eliminates the need for borrowers to select a secondary market lender because the institution receives the loan proceeds directly from the Department of Education. This program format is beneficial to borrowers because of the option to consolidate at graduation.

The U.S. Department of Education needs to conduct a credit check on all Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan applicants.

1. If you have placed a security freeze on your credit file, you must lift or remove the freeze with each credit bureau Equifax and TransUnion before you continue with the Graduate PLUS Loan Application. Your application will not be processed if you have a security freeze on your credit file.
2. To qualify for a Graduate PLUS Loan, you must not have an adverse credit history. If the credit check shows that you have an adverse credit history, you will receive an explanation from the U.S. Department of Education on how you may still be able to qualify for a Graduate PLUS loan.
   

Graduate PLUS Loan Application is used: 

• Request a Graduate PLUS Loan 
• You may change the amount of a Graduate PLUS Loan you previously requested 

When you submit your completed Graduate PLUS Loan Application, the U.S. Department of Education will send your requested loan amount and the additional information you provide as part of the application to the University of California, Irvine. 

Private Educational Loans

Private Educational Loans are available from a variety of banks and lenders. The terms and rates for Private Educational Loans are usually not as good as those of Federal Direct Loans, and we encourage students to take advantage of the Federal Direct Loans rather than Private Educational Loans.

To apply for a Private Educational Loan, submit an application with the lender of your choice and inform the School of Law Financial Aid Office of your pending application. You may use any lender, but we suggest that you compare loan terms with those on our Preferred Lender List. Maximum eligibility is based on the cost of attendance less other financial aid received as reflected on your financial aid offer letter.

Private Educational Loan funds are disbursed directly from the lender to the UC Irvine Central Cashier. Students must go to the Loan Services Office at 101 Aldrich Hall to pick up the loan check, or to sign the check over to UC Irvine to be deposited into their Zot Account to pay fees.

Dreamers Graduate Loan Program

The Dreamers Graduate Loan Program supports Dreamers with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) status who want to pursue professional degrees to achieve their career aspirations but do not have access to affordable financing options. This loan program provides loans to individuals with DACA and TPS status with interest rates based on the annual percentage rate (APR) available via the federal government’s Direct PLUS loan program. This loan program is a private loan program, with Funding U as the loan originator and Launch LLC as the loan servicer.

SB 1289 Disclosure

Students considering student loans need to be aware of the differences between federal student loans and private student loans:

• Federal student loans are required by law to provide a range of flexible repayment options including, but not limited to, income-based and income-contingent repayment plans as well as loan forgiveness benefits that private lenders are not required to provide.
• Federal direct loans are available to most students regardless of income. Other qualification criteria do apply. For more information, please visit http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/eligibility.
• Private student loan lenders can offer variable interest rates that can increase or decrease over time, depending on market conditions.
• The interest rate on a private loan may depend on the borrower's and/or co-signer's credit rating.
• Private student loans have a range of interest rates and fees and students should determine the interest rate of, and any fees associated with, the private student loan included in their financial aid award package before accepting the loan. Students should contact the lender of the private student loan or their UC campus' financial aid office if they have any questions about a private student loan.

University of California Code of Conduct in Regard to Preferred Lender Arrangements

Bar Exam Loans

These loans are designed to assist graduating law students with bar exam-related expenses such as bar examination fees, bar review courses, and living expenses during the period after graduation and prior to being notified of the exam results. More information on the Bar Exam Loans page.