Financial Aid
UMass Law offers scholarships, loan programs, and payment plans to help students and their families with educational expenses. Our financial aid staff is prepared to assist you in learning what is available and how to access needed funding for your studies.
One Big Beautiful Bill Act
On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law through the budget reconciliation process resulting in changes to federal student aid programs. Some of these changes went into effect immediately, while others will go into effect in the near future and beyond.
Graduate PLUS loans: The Law eliminates the Graduate PLUS program, effective July 1, 2026, with legacy provisions for current borrowers to complete their program of study.
Loan limits: The OBBBA designates a student enrolled in a J.D. degree program as a professional student and caps the annual loan limit at $50,000. The aggregate limit for professional students is $200,000.
Lifetime borrowing cap on all federal loans: The law contains a $257,500* borrowing cap on all federal student loans, excluding borrowed Parent PLUS loan amounts.
Learn more about the details of the final provisions that have been signed into law.
Apply for financial aid
Learn more about UMass Law's process: how to apply for financial aid.
Types of financial aid
Detailed information about each of the programs, including application procedures, is available from the Financial Aid staff.
Scholarships & Fellowships
Public Interest Law Fellowships - Offered to entering students who are interested in working in a public interest field upon graduation.
Commonwealth Fellows Program - Offered to incoming students who are Massachusetts residents or attended a Massachusetts public college or university and who meet the qualifying criteria.
Scholarships - UMass Law also offers academic merit scholarships.
Federal Direct Loans
UMass Law participates in the federal Title IV Direct Loan program, offering Unsubsidized and Graduate Plus loans.
Learn more about Federal Direct Loans.
Bar exam fee loans & bar study loans
Federal Direct Loan funds may be available for the direct cost of one bar examination.
Federal loans are not available for expenses incurred by law students while studying for the bar exam; however, other lenders do offer bar study loans.
Learn more about bar exam fee and study loans.
Payment plan
Learn more about UMass Law payment plan.
Private educational loans
While we strongly advise students to borrow through the federal loan program, we recognize that under certain exceptional circumstances, a private education loan is necessary.
Learn more about private educational loans.