The Soledad ’92 and Robert Hurst Horizon Scholarship Program
Removing barriers to the full Yale Law experience
“I know how profoundly Yale Law changed my life. It opened doors. You learn from all the people around you because they’re just so exceptional. To be able to give that to someone else, so they don’t have to stress and can actually make a choice … what an extraordinary gift to be able to give.”
—Soledad Hurst ’92
Each Yale Law School class includes students who come from families at or below the poverty line, and more than a quarter are the first in their families to attend graduate or professional school. Many support their families while in school, or rely on this education to lift generations of relatives out of poverty. These students are brilliant—our school and our world need their skill, ambition, and perspectives. Yet many of these students must take on significant debt for law school, with no family safety net. Others step back from the full Yale Law experience to avoid incurring more debt.
The Soledad ’92 and Robert Hurst Horizon Scholarship Program provides full-tuition scholarships for students who come from economically disadvantaged families. Scholarships enable recipients to fully participate in all Yale Law experiences and still afford to build the careers they choose. A gift of $1 million supports a student through all three years at Yale Law School. Accepted students who meet the financial requirements will automatically receive the scholarship.
“We are committed to opening our doors to those students who have the most to gain from this School and the most to give to the world, regardless of their means. I am thrilled that we are able to make this extraordinary addition to a financial aid system that is already best in class. The Hurst Horizon Scholarship Program will free students with the greatest need from financial strain during law school and open up a world of possibilities so that they can be a powerful force for change in society.”
—Dean Heather K. Gerken
