Unless your hope is a full-ride (do they give those anywhere?), how do you plan on paying for law school? Outside of taking a cue from Kim K's surrogate and getting paid $100K to grow a celebrity's baby in my stomach, I'm not sure how else to afford this other than dreaded loans. :-(
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69 comments
I've decided I will auction off my kidney. The going rate in the US is around $250k on the black market. That should cover the bulk of the law school expenses I will incur.
@6400 said:
That's a good question :confounded: :cry: :cold_sweat: :disappointed:
I don't know why I didn't think about it before deciding to go...:cry::cry::cry:
http://gif-finder.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Michaelscottfacepalm1.gif
Post 9/11 G.I. Bill
@zanesbit64 said:
There's also hanging out at your local hospital and hooking up with a dermatologist with the hopes of future matrimony.
Heads to Hospital w/ flowers
I feel the need to chime in on this.
My perspective is - If I don't get a scholarship I'm not going, and I advise anyone to do the same.
I have almost 100k in loans from undergrad and my son is almost 2y old. I pay around 800/month for students loans and I have to choose between that and my credit not tanking vs him having toys, nice things, music class etc. It's awful and that is real life.
A top tier school MAY be worth it at sticker if you are ambitious, but if it's not a top tier school and you graduate and start a family with over 100k in debt or close to it and can't send your kid to a nice school then you really feel the weight of your decision.
I'm currently paying off my student loans using the Dave Ramsey plan. I work two jobs and study for the lsat so it's a bit stressful. I am scheduled to have my student loans paid off by next summer. Then I'm going to continue working for two years and save up for law school. I'm trying for $50,000 in my savings. A merit scholarship and my savings should cover most of tuition since I am trying to go to a state law school. Tuition is about $27,000 a year. My boyfriend of two years also just landed a really good job so we're planning on cash flowing whatever is left through him. If it somehow doesn't work out, then I guess I'll take out loans but I feel pretty good about my plan. I'll be going to law school at 26, but Obama went to law school when he was 27, so I guess I'll be okay. :)
well... if i get into Uconn law, they have a tuition waiver program for Veteran's .. so thanks to President Bush who started a war i now get free law school :wink:
With the amount of studying I've been doing at this point, I'm focused on getting a good score to obtain some sort of scholarship and the rest student loans. I'm fortunate enough to have my significant other support me while I study full-time for the LSAT, and then turn around go to school full-time. Student loans will be dreadful, but sometimes it's the sacrifice you have to make in order to make your dreams come true, one way or another. I've waited 10 years to finally make this giant leap and I've always known student loans would be in the books. Luckily for me, I have no debt (i.e. undergrad loans or even a car loan), so it makes it more tolerable.
That's a good question :confounded: :cry: :cold_sweat: :disappointed:
I plan on winning the lottery/all of my gambling picks being perfect. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Selling my not-so vital organs. I don't really need a kidney to practice law right?
@nbeltre1229 said:
I'm currently paying off my student loans using the Dave Ramsey plan. I work two jobs and study for the lsat so it's a bit stressful. I am scheduled to have my student loans paid off by next summer. Then I'm going to continue working for two years and save up for law school. I'm trying for $50,000 in my savings. A merit scholarship and my savings should cover most of tuition since I am trying to go to a state law school. Tuition is about $27,000 a year. My boyfriend of two years also just landed a really good job so we're planning on cash flowing whatever is left through him. If it somehow doesn't work out, then I guess I'll take out loans but I feel pretty good about my plan. I'll be going to law school at 26, but Obama went to law school when he was 27, so I guess I'll be okay. :)
How cool to meet DR fans. I am also paying my loans on the plan (on BS2). You have a great plan.
Texas Hazzlewood act. I have 155 credits left on it. The only thing is I'm required to go to a public school in the state of Texas. Im shooting for A&M or UT Austin.
@tristandesinor505 said:
@6400 said:
Student loan. If I get into a good school, I don't care about going into debt.
I was like this as well. Then hubs finished school and our monthly student loan bill doubled (silently weeps) Now I'm really, really, really hoping to take out as few loans as possible.
@gregoryalexanderdevine723 I may take a cue from you and not settle for anything less than a full ride? On that note .. let me go study lol.
Yeah I was this way probably as recently as last year. Once I had been out of UG for 6 months and they started sending me student loan bills I quickly changed my attitude. I may put off law school all together until I can save up some substantial amount of money. Might mean starting law school in my late 20s, but if it means I'll be better off financially, then so be it...
Someone from University of Michigan was telling me that his tuition was practically paid for by student teaching. Not sure how much his tuition was or how much he was making (or if the university just deducts).
@6400 said:
Student loan. If I get into a good school, I don't care about going into debt.
I was like this as well. Then hubs finished school and our monthly student loan bill doubled (silently weeps) Now I'm really, really, really hoping to take out as few loans as possible.
@gregoryalexanderdevine723 I may take a cue from you and not settle for anything less than a full ride? On that note .. let me go study lol.
Student loan. If I get into a good school, I don't care about going into debt.
Yes, they give full rides at many law schools if you're a candidate with incredible stats.
I plan on paying with a full ride scholarship and then using loans for any COL expenses. If that doesn't work out, I'll probably just wait and reapply until I am able to secure a full ride or great scholarship to a school I want to attend. I've become increasingly debt averse since I've graduated college and see how student loans can have such a big effect on my monthly expenses, lol.
HYS would be exceptions here. If accepted I suppose I'd attend with any need based aid they would provide.
Cooley offered me a full-ride plus room and board, so there's that. Now whether or not to take that....
Great question. I'm in Canada so it is slightly different here. We don't have as many scholarships, but also school is generally way less here. Our top school, UofToronto, is 32K a year. Still way too expensive, but not the 50 or 60K a year at Harvard or Yale. I have a dream of going to Yale, but even if I got in I'm not sure the debt is worth the trade-off, even despite their generous repayment program. I've even been considering going to Calgary instead of staying in Toronto because tuition there is only 12K a year and its a great school.
School prestige is not a thing here like it is in the U.S. We regulate our law education a lot more, so anywhere you go you get a good education. I still feel it might be worth going somewhere with slightly less prestige to not have to pay the 32K a year at UofToronto. Will see.
Either way, I'm having to take out loans. And as someone that took 10 years to pay off my student loans from undergrad, I'm definitely pretty debt averse
Largely going to cry...and pray.
No but really. Options are going to go to Michigan and living with significant other as he has a great job, go with a law school nearby home so I can save the COL expenses (Pepperdine/UCLA/USC), or go with a great scholly to a great school elsewhere. I mean we will see. I'm a firm believer of making it happen regardless. I have debt already from undergrad, but I'm okay with that. Sure some may think this isn't wise, but I've accepted it and I'll tackle the obstacles as they come. :blush:
Honestly, you have 3ish options.
get someone else to pay for it.
Basically this is the best way. Get a rich family member to help you. not so fortunate? then join the struggle bus. Study your ass off and get a 175 on your LSAT. pretty much guaranteed a full ride somewhere. Maybe not a top 15. but if you are will ing to work hard enough, get a 175, and write like 60 essays for private external scholarships... you should be able to go debt free possibly with stipend.
work and pay for it before hand.
I honestly recommend this this strategy combined with strategy one. use your degree and work for 2 years hoarding all your money and studying for the lsat in your evenings. Assuming you can live on 1600 a month and get paid 45k a year, you should have about 30K saved after 2 years and you should be an LSAT GOD after taking every test timed and blind review/ drilling for 2 years. you apply, look awesome with real work experience, have stellar LOR because you planned that shit for 2 years, and you basically get swag points for being a BEAST. Get your 175, collect your scholarship, and wear a smug look on your face every year in law school.
3)work and pay for it afterwards. Avoid this tactic if you have any of the following: Undergrad debt >20K, A terrible LSAT or GPA, Kids, not competitive for a top 50 law school. Basically if you already have debt you'd be foolish to stack 3 more years of living expenses and tuition on top of that gambling that you are going to be in the upper 25% of your class. If you have terrible stats. seriously rethink law school or at least reflect on why you have bad stats. If it's because of laziness or poor decisions, fix those those first, get your LSAT way up and if you have the discipline to get that far, you might stand a chance at getting hired right out and paying back your debt. DO NOT go in to debt unless it is absolutely necessary. Under De-vos they restructured student loans and payment options making them less lenient. The last thing you need is financial trouble while in law school or right afterwards.
In any situation. I recommend being patient. I deliberately chose to work for 2 years prior to law school and aim for scholarships. Debt is the last card I'll play. Be smart about it. No one cares how old you are when you attend or graduate, but that debt and the decisions you make will stay with you all your life.
@gregoryalexanderdevine723 said:
I've decided I will auction off my kidney. The going rate in the US is around $250k on the black market. That should cover the bulk of any school I choose to attend.
yup. this idea wins all the ideas.
@nbeltre1229 said:
I'm currently paying off my student loans using the Dave Ramsey plan. I work two jobs and study for the lsat so it's a bit stressful. I am scheduled to have my student loans paid off by next summer. Then I'm going to continue working for two years and save up for law school. I'm trying for $50,000 in my savings. A merit scholarship and my savings should cover most of tuition since I am trying to go to a state law school. Tuition is about $27,000 a year. My boyfriend of two years also just landed a really good job so we're planning on cash flowing whatever is left through him. If it somehow doesn't work out, then I guess I'll take out loans but I feel pretty good about my plan. I'll be going to law school at 26, but Obama went to law school when he was 27, so I guess I'll be okay. :)
We did Dave Ramsey to pay off all our debt last year ... it wasn't fun but it was worth it! All we have left is that annoying student loan payment lol.
If all goes to plan, I'll be headed to school at 33.
As far as how to pay: Post 9/11 GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon Program to cover the rest of tuition, and then living off of a mix of GI Bill housing allowance and military disability payments (I should be able to hit at least 50% service connected). Using the current numbers (based off of where I want to go to school), I would have about as much money coming in per month between housing allowance and disability as I do now at my current duty station.
My goal is to not take out any student loans for law school.