Graduate Admissions

Scholarships and Financing Your Degree

Two students reviewing a document together

A graduate legal education is a significant investment. The Law School offers highly competitive scholarships to full-time LLMs, and full funding for four years to JSDs. Many students combine these with aid from other sources to meet the cost of attendance.

Full-time LLM Scholarships

With the founding of the Hauser Global Law School Program in the 1990s, NYU Law became one of the first in the nation to offer full scholarships to students in the LLM program. In the years since, the Law School has extended this commitment to include a range of scholarships to which both US and international students can apply.

You do not need to file a financial aid application to be considered for Law School funding; all required materials are collected in the admission application. US JDs should apply to the LLM by the scholarship priority deadline.

The review of scholarship applications takes place after notification of admission to the program. Except for the Podell Global Graduate Legal Scholarship, LLM scholarship decisions are based on merit without regard to financial need. If you are selected to receive a scholarship, you will be notified by email along with further instructions on how to accept the offer. All scholarship decisions are final and non-negotiable.

JSD Funding

All students admitted to the JSD program receive full funding for up to four years.

In support of the students’ full-time commitment to their doctoral studies, this funding includes the cost of tuition and fees for required courses, student health insurance, and a living stipend.

Part-time Programs

Part-time students are billed on a per-credit basis, and usually take between three and five credits a semester. 

US citizens and eligible permanent residents may apply for federal loans for the semester(s) in which they take six credits. Part-time students are ineligible for Law School scholarships.

Financial Aid from Other Sources

We encourage you to explore financing options throughout the application process, including:

If you're an international student, we suggest that you connect with your local EducationUSA office and investigate options in your home country. 

All students should beware of scams when researching outside funding sources.

Resources for Students with Families 

If family members will be joining you in New York, we encourage you to plan for the associated expenses in advance. The US government requires that international students document the availability of funds to support a dependent visa application.

Many of our graduate students find these resources helpful as they plan for their spouse or child(ren) to accompany them: