FAQs
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Although you will not be able to complete our institutional application until you are admitted, please be sure to complete the FAFSA and, if applying for grant aid, the CSS PROFILE by the priority deadline of March 15. This ensures that your application for financial aid will be considered as soon as possible after you are admitted.
We need a copy of your W-2 form(s) because of the particular information regarding income earned from work and pre-tax withholdings.
No. You do not have to include retirement plan accumulations when totaling the value of assets. However, any annual contribution must be reported since they are considered discretionary payments and are usually untaxed income.
Yes. Students in the evening division may apply for Federal Stafford Loans, Federal Graduate PLUS Loans, commercial loans, and Federal Work-Study to assist with both tuition and living expenses. Evening students are now also eligible for need-based grant assistance.
Yes. If you let us know about your outside aid we can help you determine how the scholarship will affect your eligibility for other financial aid funds. It’s helpful to know this early in the process. If we find out about the outside aid when the sponsor sends your money to Georgetown Law, it may cause budgeting problems, especially if we have to cancel aid you are no longer eligible to receive.
You can make an appointment to discuss budgeting concerns with your financial aid counselor.
There are priority deadlines established to ensure timely processing of financial aid requests, but students can request financial aid throughout most of the academic year. Review the rest of our web site for general guidance on financial aid and contact our office for assistance with the application process.
Yes. All students are required to complete online graduate entrance counseling the first time they borrow.
Instructions on applying for Stafford Loans will be included with entering students’ financial aid award notifications. You can also review the How to Apply and Types of Aid pages for step-by-step instructions and more information.
Direct Graduate PLUS loans are federal loans that serve as a supplement to Stafford loans. You can review the How to Apply and Types of Aid pages for step-by-step application instructions and more information.
Unfortunately, the Perkins Loan program for graduate students ended after the 2016-17 academic year.
Commercial loans are private loans that can be borrowed to cover educational expenses. The primary difference between commercial loans and federal loans is commercial loans are heavily based on credit and do not benefit from federal deferment and forgiveness programs. You can review the How to Apply and Types of Aid pages for step-by-step instructions and more information. Commercial loans are not eligible for LRAP, so please consider this option carefully before borrowing a commercial loan.
Financial aid (except Federal Work-Study) is disbursed to your student account at the beginning of each semester for which funds are awarded. (Federal Work-Study funds are paid bi-weekly through the Office of Payroll Services as earned.) Before any financial aid disbursements can be made, all applicable requirements must be satisfied. Please note that you should not expect financial aid funds to disburse before the start of classes (not including orientation) for that semester. Federal regulations govern the timing of federal aid disbursements.
Once your financial aid has disbursed to your student account, you can request your living expense allowance refund through the Student Account section of MyAccess (by clicking on “Request Refund”). In the meantime, you are encouraged to link your bank account to your student account (by clicking on “Student Account Services” within the Student Account section of MyAccess) so your living expense refund can be processed electronically through direct deposit and you can receive your funds more quickly. (If you request your refund before setting up direct deposit, a paper check will be issued and will take significantly longer.) For more information about this process, please contact the Student Accounts Office at 202-662-9057.
The two offices have separate administrative functions. Financial Aid, located in room 335 of McDonough Hall, determines eligibility for grants, loans, Federal Work-Study and Georgetown Law’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program. We also provide services such as financial planning, entrance and exit counseling and other guidance related to managing your money. Student Accounts, located in McDonough Room 581, is responsible for billing tuition and other charges, collecting payments and issuing student account refunds (such as your financial aid living expense funds).
If the Office of Financial Aid determines that you are eligible to receive financial aid, such funds will appear on your bill as estimated credits until actual funds are received. Once all requirements for the disbursement of your financial aid funds have been met, the estimated credits will become actual credits on your bill and excess funds will be available in the form of a refund to assist you with your living expenses. Students who are delinquent in completing applicable financial aid requirements may have their estimated credits removed from their student account. Please remember to direct all questions about your bill to the Office of Student Accounts as the Office of Financial Aid cannot assist you with billing questions.
FWS funds are specifically for educational expenses and the employment is directly related to student eligibility. FWS is a program in which the FWS funding pays the majority of your wages and the employer pays the rest. Since employers only have to pay the remaining amount of each student’s salary, they are more likely to hire students who are eligible for this federal support. This makes it much easier for you to find employment, if you so desire. FWS eligibility is treated as part of your current year financial aid resources.
FWS jobs are not assigned to students, rather students select the positions for which they will apply. Georgetown Law position openings are posted in Symplicity, our online career resources database which houses current academic year, summer and entry-level attorney job notices. You may login to the system by using your Georgetown Law NetID and password.
As long as FWS program funds are still available and you have remaining financial aid eligibility, FWS awards can usually be reinstated. You can email the office and your file will be reviewed for an FWS award.
Yes, if you withdraw from Georgetown Law or change the number of credit hours for which you are enrolled your eligibility for aid will likely change as well. You should contact the Office of Financial Aid to discuss how a change may affect your eligibility for financial aid.
Students transferring from the evening to the day program are eligible to apply for all types of federal, private and (for those transferring after their first year) Georgetown Law grant aid. Students applying for grant assistance will need to complete the Need Access form and submit student and parent tax returns (with W-2s and schedules). The primary impact of a division transfer is that the cost of attendance is adjusted to reflect the full-time enrollment status. Also, students who transfer from evening to day will also be assessed a tuition equalization fee by the Office of Student Accounts that is incorporated into the financial aid budget.
The answer to this question depends on the type of loan a student has while in school. Federal Stafford (and most Federal Grad PLUS) loans have a grace (or equivalent) period of six months and the Federal Perkins loan has a grace period of nine months before repayment begins. Most, but not all, commercial loans also have a nine-month grace period. If your leave of absence is shorter than your grace period, you will not need to make payments on those loans and your grace period will be fully reinstated. If your leave is greater than your grace period, you will need to make payment arrangements for the period of your leave following the end of the grace period. Upon your re-enrollment, your loan may be placed back into an in-school status, but will not have a grace period when you ultimately graduate. NOTE: If you are considering a leave of absence, we encourage you to make an appointment and speak with your financial aid counselor for more information.
Yes. Conveniently, the Exit Interview is available for you to complete online.
Georgetown Law offers a two-part financial planning series for graduating students. The first part focuses specifically on student loan repayment strategies The second covers other important financial matters such as savings, retirement planning, home buying, insurance, etc.
Yes. Georgetown has a nationally recognized loan repayment program that benefits JD graduates who enter into certain legally related public interest or government employment following graduation. Graduates may be eligible to receive funds, in the form of interest-free forgivable loans, which assist them in paying for all or part of their monthly loan repayment obligations.
These programs began in 2009 and provide significant benefits to many graduates choosing to pursue certain careers, especially in the government or public service sectors. Read more about the program in the Georgetown Law Guide to Income-Driven Repayment and Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
The Office of Financial Aid provides more services than just processing financial aid applications. If you need help understanding your finances, learning money management skills, or repairing your credit, you can make an appointment with a financial aid counselor and get help with these sorts of issues. Our office also provides financial planning workshops for graduating students to help prepare them for financial success after law school.
Unfortunately, international students are not eligible for federal financial aid (including Stafford and Grad PLUS loans). However, some international students may be eligible for a commercial student loan even if they don’t have U.S. credit history or a U.S. citizen co-signor.