Student Loans

Borrowing loans to pay for your legal education is a very important decision and the primary financial support for many students. Our goal is to educate students on the many factors involved in healthy borrowing, understand the different types of loans available, and to help students develop strategies to minimize overall indebtedness. Combined with our affordable tuition and Cost of Attendance, the investment in a Texas Law degree is why we are consistently viewed as the best return on investment.

Federal Loans

There are two federally funded student loan options for eligible students, the Direct Unsubsidized Loan and the Graduate PLUS Loan.

  • Direct Unsubsidized Loan is not based on financial need. Students may borrow an annual maximum of $20,500 and up to the maximum aggregate of $138,500 during the course of a student’s educational career. The 2024-25 interest rate is 8.08%.
  • Graduate PLUS Loan is based on a borrower’s credit worthiness. Eligible students may borrow up to the Cost of Attendance less any other financial assistance. The 2024-25 interest rate is 9.08%.

While non-U.S. citizens or ineligible noncitizens may not borrow under the Direct Loan program, they may however, be eligible for loans through private lenders.

Private Loans

Some students may choose to borrow loans from private lenders instead of federal loans. Private loans require an established credit record (or an eligible cosigner) and are, in general, more expensive (e.g., variable interest rates and/or additional fees). Moreover, students who borrow private loans do not benefit from the many protections provided by the Department of Education (e.g., forbearance and deferments), the income-driven repayment plans, or any federal public loan forgiveness programs available to students who borrow federal loans. We encourage students who are considering borrowing private loans to contact our Office of Financial Aid at lawfinaid@law.utexas.edu for financial counseling and guidance.

Emergency Loans

The University of Texas and the Law School 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 at lawfinaid@law.utexas.edu for more information.