Types of Aid
USC Gould Scholarships
USC Gould School of Law offers highly selective merit scholarship opportunities to outstanding students who represent the exceptional quality and diversity within our Graduate & International Programs student body.
All applicants to our programs are automatically considered for each of our scholarship awards and no additional documents are required. In addition, applicants who submit their applications by our Early Action Deadline will be eligible for consideration for our Early Action Scholarship. No separate scholarship application is necessary, but you are welcome to submit a brief letter with your program application to highlight your qualifications.
Scholarship offers are released via email at the time of admission.
Dean's Academic Excellence Award: Merit based awards offered in varying amounts in recognition of strong academic achievement and promise of making a meaningful contribution to our law school community.
Global Impact Scholarship Award: Merit based awards offered in varying amounts to support extraordinary students who show potential for making a significant contribution to the international legal community.
E-Fellows Germany Scholarship Award: A $40,000 scholarship offered to past or present participants in the E-Fellows LLM Day in Berlin, Frankfurt or Munich.
Mexico Graduate Scholarship Awards: A $10,000 scholarship offered to applicants who are accepted to the CONACYT-FUNED joint program loan.
COLFUTURO Awards: A half-tuition award for up to one academic year offered to one to five applicants who have been selected for the COLFUTURO Loan-Scholarship, in accordance with the COLFUTURO-USC Collaborative Agreement.
U.S. Federal Workers Award: A 50% tuition discount offered to admitted candidates for the 2026-2027 academic year who have left federal government service in January 2025 or later.
Housing Stipends
Students who apply by our priority deadline will be automatically considered for our USC housing stipend, which is available in varying amounts and may be used toward your on campus or off campus housing.
As with any of our scholarship awards, you do not need to submit a separate application to be eligible. Students may receive both a merit award and the USC housing stipend. Like merit scholarships, housing stipends are single, non-recurring awards and are credited directly to their USC student accounts as a form of tuition remission. They are not cash awards and cannot be disbursed directly to students.
Outside Scholarships
USC Gould highly encourages students to seek USC scholarships and financial support offered by foundations, government agencies, and corporations. It’s never too early to begin looking for “free money” for graduate school. Please explore the following resources:
- USC Scholarship Universe
- USC Awards and Fellowships Database
- CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor
We also encourage you to explore financial aid from additional sources in the U.S. or your home country. In order to assist you, we have set forth a list of outside scholarship resources for your reference. While we do not have further information on these organizations nor do we endorse any, we do encourage students to contact the organizations themselves for more information.
Federal Loans
U.S. citizens and permanent residents who wish to pay for school through loans from the U.S. government must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA can be completed as early as October 1 of the year prior to the year in which you intend to enroll, and should be completed as early as possible. USC's school code is 001328.
After you have successfully completed the FAFSA, and have been admitted, you will receive an electronic notification from USC Gould's Office Financial Aid with additional information and instructions on the federal loan application process. For additional details about the student loan options available to graduate students, please refer to http://financialaid.usc.edu/loans/.
Effective July 1, 2026, you should expect the following as it pertains to borrowing federal student loans:
- Aggregate federal student loan limit at $100,000 for graduate students
- Prorated (less than $20,500 per annum) graduate loan limit for graduate students enrolling less than full-time
- Elimination of the Graduate PLUS Loan program for all new enrollment beginning July 1, 2026 or later
Private Loans
Private educational loans can cover up to the cost of attendance, less other financial aid received. One major difference is that they can have a variable interest rate determined by the lender upon review of your credit history.
USC's Office of Financial Aid offers information about private educational loans.
Military and Veteran Education Benefits
USC supports military-connected students in their legal studies through a variety of U.S. military and veteran education benefits programs. Additionally, USC Gould is proud to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. We offer an unlimited number of Yellow Ribbon awards to eligible candidates, which can provide funding for much of their legal studies education. To learn more about military and veteran benefits, please contact the USC Veterans Certification Office.
Next Steps
USC Gould School of Law
699 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90089-0071
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