Does HLS offer merit-based or need-based financial aid?
Harvard Law School Grant and Loan assistance is awarded solely on the basis of demonstrated financial need. The School does not award “merit” or “full-ride” scholarships (which typically are not need-based) because these would necessarily reduce the resources available for need-based aid and increase the debt burden of every financially needy student. For students whose demonstrated financial need does not reach the threshold for Law School Grant eligibility, Federal Direct Stafford Loans and supplemental education loans are available to meet education expenses. For international students, Harvard Law School Loans are offered in place of Federal Direct Loans. Need-based aid, by definition, assumes that the student and his/her family have primary responsibility for financing the cost of education. The role of institutional financial aid is to close the gap between the cost of education and the potential level of contribution from the family resources as determined through a uniform and
