Scholarships and Financing Your Degree

Graduate legal education is a significant investment, and prospective students should approach it with a full understanding of both the benefits and costs. While the Law School has several selective scholarship programs for full-time study, in most cases, financing a graduate education rests primarily with the student. Therefore, all applicants are strongly encouraged to investigate all available financing options.

The Law School’s Office of Student Financial Services has assembled online information about various external financial aid opportunities and loans and lenders. The application process and deadlines for aid or financing from these sources should be confirmed directly with the granting organization. The information online is not exhaustive of all available opportunities, and your own research may be very beneficial. International students should also explore financing options in their home countries.

NYU Law offers a number of highly competitive scholarships in various amounts to full-time LLM students:

Often times, admitted students who are selected to receive a scholarship from NYU combine it with other forms of financial aid—scholarships from external agencies, loans, etc.—to meet the costs associated with graduate legal studies. With the exception of the Podell Global Graduate Legal Scholarship, all scholarship decisions are based on merit without regard to financial need.

Applicants must indicate on the admissions application whether they wish to be considered for NYU scholarships, if admitted. Unless otherwise noted in the scholarship description below, additional materials are not required.

Applicants to the full-time LLM in Taxation are encouraged to submit the application form and materials before the February 3 priority deadline in order to be considered in the rolling decision-making process for those scholarships.

Admitted students selected to receive a scholarship from NYU will be notified by e-mail along with further instructions on how to accept the award. All scholarship decisions are final and non-negotiable.

Cost of Attendance

Student Financial Services develops the student expense budget to estimate a full-time student’s annual projected educational expenses—including tuition, fees, living expenses, books, and health insurance—keeping in mind the simple lifestyle of a graduate student. The total for the 2019-20 academic year is $99,858. Note that this is an estimated budget; an individual’s actual costs during the academic year may vary depending on his or her choices regarding discretionary expenses.

Prospective students are advised to plan for additional financial resources to cover costs beyond those listed in the student expense budget. For example, all foreign-trained lawyers are required to attend two introductory summer courses that run concurrently and take place before the formal start of the academic year. While there is no additional tuition for these courses, there are additional living and health insurance costs which are associated with arriving early, and which are not a part of the student expense budget. Similarly, any LLM student who plans to stay after graduation in order to take the New York bar exam will need to plan for the additional costs associated with preparing for the exam and remaining in New York for the period May through late July/early August.

JSD Program

All students admitted to the JSD program receive full funding for three years, subject to satisfactory progress in the program. 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. Prospective doctoral students are also encouraged to seek external funding from third-party sources; students who receive such funding remain eligible for an adjusted NYU stipend.

Part-time Students

Tuition and fees for part-time students are assessed on a per-credit basis each semester. The Fall 2019 per-credit rate table is located on the Bursar’s website. Eligibility for federal loans depends in part on a student’s credit load each semester. US and international students may also consider private loans.

Learn More from Student Financial Services

Student Expense Budget
Loans and Lenders
External Aid
Only US citizens and permanent residents are eligible for federal student loans. Typically, US banks offering private student loans to foreign citizens require a US co-signer. It may be beneficial for international students to explore financing options, including scholarships and loans, in their home countries.

Students with Families

Students who expect to bring spouses and/or children to New York for the academic year should consider planning appropriately. Admitted international students receive advice from the Office of Global Services about applying for visas for their dependents, including the additional finances the US government requires.

Students may apply for the limited family housing available in the Law School's residences, but should also be prepared to seek accommodation on the private market in the case that the demand for family housing exceeds supply.

Those students covered by NYU's health insurance plans have the option of including qualifying family members in the coverage for an additional cost.

And, NYU Law's graduate students are eligible to apply for the Childcare Subsidy from the University's Student Resource Center to assist in meeting the costs of childcare.