Financial Aid
Applicants to the graduate programs at the University of Michigan Law School are welcome to apply for Michigan Grotius Fellowships to assist in financing their graduate studies. Named after Hugo Grotius, the seventeenth century Dutch jurist generally regarded as the father of modern international law, the fellowships acknowledge superior academic and professional achievement in all areas of law and recognize the promise of a distinguished legal career following graduate study. Applying for financial aid, including Grotius Fellowships, does not affect a candidate’s admissions decision, as all financial awards are determined only after admissions decisions have been made.
In making its selections, the Fellowship Committee evaluates an applicant’s commitment to academic excellence, seriousness and depth of purpose and promise of professional success. It takes a particular interest in an applicant’s pursuit of a career in academia or public service. In a typical year, between 30 and 40 percent of graduate students attending the University of Michigan Law School have been selected as Grotius Fellows.
Grotius Fellows are free to pursue their chosen program of graduate legal study and are not subject to any additional academic requirements. Past recipients of Michigan Grotius Fellowships have become leaders of the legal profession in their respective home countries as well as in the international community – serving on the highest courts of their countries, on international courts, and in prominent positions in government, international organizations, and academic institutions around the world.
Financial aid recipients are selected among all admitted students who have requested assistance. Michigan Grotius Fellowships are awarded based on a combination of the student’s financial need and his or her academic and professional background. Students wishing to apply for a Michigan Grotius Fellowship must complete the financial information in the application form.
Due to the many outstanding applications we receive, the demand for financial aid always exceeds available funds. Applicants are therefore strongly encouraged to also seek funding elsewhere from a variety of public and private sources, and to contact their home governments and employers, as well as the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, to seek advice and sponsorship for study abroad. Employment during the academic year is strongly discouraged.
Students admitted to our program are often successful in securing outside funding. Recent students have received financial support from their employers (law firms, companies, government agencies, and universities), from a range of government and private scholarships such as Fulbright, Muskie, Amideast, DAAD, BAEF, SOROS, and Rotary, and from loan programs in their home countries. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) offers fellowships for non-U.S. citizens or permanent residents; please refer to their Web site at www.aauw.org for specific criteria and detailed information. Like most funding sources, the AAUW requires early application. A special educational loan program for non-permanent U.S. residents or citizens is offered by the Global Student Loan Corporation (www.globalslc.com).
PEP, LAWEXCEL, and PLATO are U.S.-sponsored loan programs available to international students who can provide a U.S. citizen or permanent resident as a cosigner. The following U.S.-sponsored loan programs are available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents: Stafford Loans, Law Access Loans, Law Student Loans, and MI-Loans. Students eligible for U.S.-sponsored loan programs should contact the Law School Office of Financial Aid for more information at lawfinaid@umich.edu or 734.764.5289.