Resources for Current Students

Increasing Cost of Attendance

In some instances, students may increase their annual Cost of Attendance to cover expenses related to:

  • childcare;
  • laptop purchase and other approved accessories;
  • student health insurance premiums; and
  • other expenses beyond a traditional student budget.

Students should be aware, however, that increasing the Cost of Attendance means increasing overall student loan indebtedness if students are borrowing student loans for their legal education. The decision to increase the COA should be made with great care and consideration. To request an increase to your Cost of Attendance, please submit a Student Request Form after August 1.

Other Financial Aid Requests

In addition, students might also have other specific financial aid needs, for example:

  • request to borrow the maximum amount of federal loans;
  • return unused federal loans after disbursement; or
  • request scholarship information for physically disabled students.

After August 1, students may submit a Student Request Form for any of these matters. Please allow 3-5 business days to review your request and do not hesitate to contact our Office of Financial Aid at lawfinaid@law.utexas.edu with any questions or for guidance.

Emergency Loans

The University of Texas and Texas Law have programs that may assist already enrolled students who experience gap in funding before/inter academic terms and in emergency financial situations. Students who are experiencing financial difficulties should contact our Office of Financial Aid for guidance.

Personal Finance Resources

Financial wellness is a priority we have for all of our students and we try to impart the maxim “live like a student now or you will live like a student later”. Students should create budgets to estimate living expenses and strategize to reduce spending. For example, consider sharing housing costs with a roommate rather than living alone while in law school, monitor food and entertainment expenses, and consider bringing lunch rather than eating out. While law school may be an excellent long-term investment, you will have to repay what you borrow (with interest), so good financial decisions now will set you up for success in the future. Take a moment to review Preparing Your Law School Finances developed by our Office of Financial Aid to help you get started.

In addition, AccessLex is a nonprofit comprised of nearly 200 ABA-approved law schools that is dedicated to providing a wealth of free literature about financial wellness, loan repayment, and other financial aid topics to prospective and current law students including: