Outside Scholarship Resources
Outside scholarships, or other funding from external sources, are a great way to finance your education while reducing your total loan indebtedness. We classify any financial assistance that is not awarded by Yale Law School as "outside resources." This includes private grants and scholarships, fellowships, veteran’s benefits or other military education benefits, and AmeriCorps benefits.
Outside Scholarships’ Impact on Need-Based Financial Aid
Outside scholarships and other funding from external sources reduce a student’s unit loan dollar-for-dollar. The only exception is if the outside scholarship exceeds the entirety of the unit loan. An example of each scenario is below:
- A 1L student has demonstrated financial need of $79,300 and that need is initially met with the unit loan of $56,700 and a Yale Law Scholarship of $22,600. The student then receives a $25,000 scholarship from ABC Foundation.
- The outside scholarship will reduce the student’s unit loan by $25,000. This will result in a new unit loan amount is $31,700. The Yale Law Scholarship is unchanged.
- A 1L student has demonstrated financial need of $79,300 and that need is initially met with the unit loan of $56,700 and a Yale Law Scholarship of $22,600. The student then receives a $60,000 scholarship from ABC Foundation.
- The outside scholarship from ABC Foundation will reduce the student’s unit loan to $0. The Yale Law scholarship will be reduced by $3,300 for a total Yale Law Scholarship of $19,300
Outside Scholarship Search Engines
Begin your search for outside scholarships using the search engines below. A great starting place is our partner organization, AccessLex, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting talented, purpose-driven students in their journey from aspiring lawyers to fulfilled professionals. AccessLex provides an extensive online database that tracks hundreds of scholarships specifically for law school students.
Please also note the postings contained in outside databases and websites have not been reviewed by Yale Law School and some scholarships may not comply with YLS policies.
Yale Law School Endowed Scholarships
Special or endowed scholarships, such as those listed in the Law School Bulletin, are awarded only to students with demonstrated financial need. These scholarships do not change the recipient’s financial aid award; instead, they replace general funds with endowed funds. A student’s eligibility for specific endowed scholarships is assessed based on the FAAST form and therefore, no separate application is necessary.