Florida State / College of Law / Prospective Students / Financing Your Legal Education

Financing Your Legal Education

 

Florida State is consistently rated one of the nation's top 15 best value law schools by National Jurist magazine as well as rated a "good value" by U.S. News & World Report. We are proud of our ability to provide an excellent law school education at an affordable and reasonable cost to our students.

Tuition & Fees

The estimated Tuition and Fee Schedule for 2012-13 is set forth below. Click here for a breakdown of the College of Law’s cost of attendance. As a state university, our tuition and fees are established by the Florida Legislature and are subject to change at any given time. Please note that Florida State Law does not have a tuition guarantee policy.

  IN-STATE OUT-OF-STATE
2012-13 Tuition & Fees (per credit hour)*
$656.38
$1,323.45**

Please note there is a $20 Student Affairs Facility Use Fee

charged per semester in addition to the Tuition & Fees.

To assist in your financial planning, we have created an easy-to-use Law School Cost Comparison Calculator, which will allow you to quickly compare the costs of attending the law schools to which you have been admitted. This tool, along with instructions for use, is available for Florida residents and nonresidents. *Note: The values indicated for Florida State University College of Law are based on 2012-2013 costs over a 9-month period (fall and spring semesters).

**Reclassification:
Historically, nonresidents have been eligible to seek reclassification to resident status for tuition purposes after their first year in law school. Under a new law, students seeking residency reclassification must show clear and convincing documentation that supports permanent legal residence in this state for at least 12 consecutive months rather than temporary residency for the purpose of pursuing an education. Residing in a university dorm disqualifies you from reclassifying as a Florida resident for tuition purposes. Students are encouraged to look into this matter as soon as they accept our offer of admission. Click here for residency reclassification guidelines.

Scholarships

Florida State University College of Law offers a program of scholarship assistance made available through the generous support of alumni and friends. College of Law scholarships are awarded to students on the basis of merit and financial need. Approximately one-third of students in our entering classes receive first-year scholarships. Second- and third-year students may apply for a variety of scholarships each spring. Most scholarships disburse during the fall and spring semesters, with limited exceptions for summer disbursements.  For more information about scholarship opportunities available through the College of Law, contact the Office of Student Affairs at 850.644.7338.

In compliance with ABA Standard 509, the below chart details our scholarship retention data:

Matriculation Year
# Entering with Conditional Scholarships
# Whose Conditional Scholarships Were Reduced/Eliminated
2011-12
0
0
2010-11
0
0
2009-10
29
0

Federal Loan Program

In addition to our scholarship assistance program, students at the College of Law finance their legal education in large part through the Federal Direct Loan program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Specifically, these loans include the Federal Stafford Unsubsidized Loan and the Graduate Student PLUS Loan. Federal loans typically have lower interest rates, multiple repayment options, longer repayment periods, and other protections. Also, their credit requirements are less stringent than private loans. The Florida State University now processes all federal loans through the Federal Direct Loan program. Current students must be registered for at least 6 credit hours to be eligible for student loans.  For other general financial aid information, click here or contact the Florida State University Office of Financial Aid at 850.644.5716.

Click here to access our Financial Aid Newsletter.