Financing your Education

You may apply for and receive a combination of financial aid (scholarships, loans, grants-in-aid, etc;) up to the maximum cost of attendance for your program.

To make the process as seamless as possible, all admitted students are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships. The merit scholarships awarded to incoming students are guaranteed for three years in our full-time or four years in our part-time program as long as you remain in good academic standing.

Merit Scholarships

To make the process as seamless as possible, all admitted students are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships. The merit scholarships awarded to incoming students are guaranteed for three years in our full-time program or four years in our part-time program, as long as you remain in good academic standing.

  • Merit Scholarship awards are made to the most qualified applicants based on their records of achievement, aptitude for the study of law, and general background.
  • Interested students should submit their admission application by the priority deadline.
  • Scholarship notifications typically occur three weeks after admission.
  • Scholarships are renewed annually, provided the student remains in good academic standing.

Duquesne Kline Law does not award scholarships that are conditional on law school academic performance; therefore, we do not post an ABA "conditional scholarship retention worksheet."

ABA Standard 509 requires law schools to post conditional scholarship retention data. The ABA defines a conditional scholarship as follows: "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."

Donor and Endowed Scholarships

Our law alumni association and other supporters have developed scholarship funds to support students.

  • The Honorable Donetta Ambrose Scholarship
  • Burns White Diversity in the Law Scholarship
  • Selma and Edward Goldberg Memorial Scholarship
  • Judith A. Kasdan Memorial Scholarship
  • The Susan Yohe Scholarship Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Coalition Scholarship

Sources of Financial Aid

Financial assistance is processed centrally through the Duquesne University Financial Aid Office. This includes Federal Stafford Unsubsidized Loans, Federal Graduate PLUS Loans, and private educational loans. Although the School of Law does not process this aid, the University’s Office of Financial Aid assists students in understanding the financing options available to help fund the costs of a legal education. Staff is available to answer any questions or concerns you may have while completing the financial aid process.

To apply for financial aid, applicants must be currently enrolled in the University or be in the process of applying for admission. Applicants to the School of Law should not wait until admission to submit their financial aid application. Students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at StudentAid.gov by the May 31 priority deadline. Be sure to list Duquesne University with the school code 003258.

*Full-time day law students DO NOT have to complete the Duquesne Financial Aid Application.

Unsubsidized Stafford Loan: Law students are eligible to borrow a maximum of $20,500 in an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan per academic year. By completing the FAFSA online at StudentAid.gov, law students are eligible to receive loans through the federal need-based Stafford program. Law students are not required to list their parents' income on the FAFSA.

Graduate PLUS: This is a credit-based federal loan program that requires an application apart from the FAFSA and allows students to borrow beyond the $20,500 Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. Most students at Duquesne Kline School of Law are able to pay for law school using a combination of scholarships, Stafford, and Graduate PLUS loans.

For more information about Federal Student Aid, please visit StudentAid.gov

Alternative: If you are unable to borrow what you need through the Stafford and Graduate PLUS programs, alternative loans are available through private lenders. An alternative loan requires a separate application, is credit-based, and generally carries a higher interest rate than the Stafford and Graduate PLUS loans.

A limited number of Library Assistant positions are available for selected students. Recipients work as law library aides or administration aides for a maximum of 340 hours during the academic year. Accepted students may submit a cover letter and resume to Charles Sprowls at sprowlsc@duq.edu.
The Public Interest Law Fellowships and McGinley Public Service Fellowships provide financial support for law students who spend their summers working in the public interest.
The William B. Billock Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) seeks to ease the debt burden incurred by graduates employed at qualifying public interest law entities. Individuals who work as public interest law or government attorneys or serve as staff for tax-exempt organizations and who earn less than $67,000 per year are eligible to apply for consideration.

Responsible Financing

MAX by AccessLex is available for all Duquesne Kline Law Students. Max is a multi-faceted personal finance program designed exclusively for law students by AccessLex Institute. This research and outcomes-based program combines interactive online lessons, webinars, in-person workshops, one-on-one counseling, and more to leverage the strengths of law students and address their weaknesses. MAX also includes scholarship incentives for participating students.

As part of Orientation, admitted students have access to a "Smart Borrowing Strategies Seminar" by student loan expert, Dr. Jeffrey E. Hanson. Further, admitted students are introduced to programming and services through the schools partnership with Max by AccessLex. Further, once each semester Dr. Jeffrey Hanson provides two days of individual student loan advising sessions.

All of these services are in addition to those provided by the University's Financial Aid Office.