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Financial Aid for Law Students

Financial Aid for Law Students

Cost of Attendance

Inside of Sturm College of Law

Your cost of attendance (also known as a student budget) is an estimate of the price of attending the Sturm College of Law for one year, and is based on the typical enrollment of students in your program. Each student's cost of attendance is made up of both direct and indirect costs:

  • Direct costs are billed through the University of Denver, and include tuition, fees and health insurance (if you utilize DU's plan).
  • Indirect costs are not billed through DU, but are out-of-pocket expenses such as room and board (unless you live on campus), books, supplies and personal expenses.

Each student is assigned a cost of attendance, which will be listed on your award letter. This cost of attendance serves two purposes:

  1. to give you an idea of the typical cost of a DU education for one year, and
  2. to set a limit on the amount of financial aid you can receive during the academic year.

This means your total aid--including scholarships, grants, loans, work-study and other resources (such as AmeriCorps and employer-paid tuition benefits)--cannot exceed your cost of attendance.

2013-14 Cost of Attendance

The figures below reflect estimated budgets for the 2013-14 academic year. While your actual costs will depend on a number of factors--including the number of credit hours you take and lifestyle choices--these should assist you in planning your own budget.

Full-Time Students (Day Students)

The cost of attendance assigned to day students is based on taking 12-15 credits per semester at the tuition rate of $1,357 per credit (does not include summer term).

Direct Costs:

Tuition

$40,710
 

Fees*

$708
 

Health Insurance¹

$2,420
 

Subtotal

$43,838

Indirect Costs:

Books

$1,800
 

Room & Board²

$10,746
 

Transportation

$1,176
 

Personal Expenses

$1,314
 

Loan Fees³

$194
 

Cost of Attendance

$59,068

*First year JD students pay 2 additional, one-time fees that are not included in the table above: a $100 Loan Repayment Assistance Program Fee and a $90 Student Bar Association Fee.

¹Health insurance is a direct cost (and you will therefore be charged for it) unless you waive the insurance offered through DU.

²Room and board may be direct costs if you live in campus housing and/or sign up for a meal plan.

³A 1% and 4% origination fee is taken out at disbursement of Federal Direct Unsubsidized loans and Graduate PLUS loans, respectively. The $194 listed is the average fee for law students who borrow Unsubsidized loans. Actual amounts will depend on the total borrowed.

3/4-Time Students (Evening Students)

The cost of attendance assigned to evening students is based on taking 8-11 credits per semester at the tuition rate of $1,357 per credit (does not include summer term).

Direct Costs:

Tuition

$29,854
 

Fees*

$676
 

Health Insurance¹

$2,420
 

Subtotal

$32,950

Indirect Costs:

Books

$1,350
 

Room & Board²

$10,746
 

Transportation

$1,176
 

Personal Expenses

$1,314
 

Loan Fees³

$194
 

Cost of Attendance

$47,730

*First year JD students pay 2 additional, one-time fees that are not included in the table above: a $100 Loan Repayment Assistance Program Fee and a $90 Student Bar Association Fee.

¹Health insurance is a direct cost (and you will therefore be charged for it) unless you waive the insurance offered through DU.

²Room and board may be direct costs if you live in campus housing and/or sign up for a meal plan.

³A 1% and 4% origination fee is taken out at disbursement of Federal Direct Unsubsidized loans and Graduate PLUS loans, respectively. The $194 listed is the average fee for law students who borrow Unsubsidized loans. Actual amounts will depend on the total borrowed.

Part-Time Students

The cost of attendance assigned to part-time students is based on taking 4-7 credits per semester at the tuition rate of $1,357 per credit (does not include summer term).

Direct Costs:

Tuition

$18,998
 

Fees*

$616
 

Health Insurance¹

$2,420
 

Subtotal

$22,034

Indirect Costs:

Books

$900
 

Room & Board²

$10,748
 

Transportation

$1,176
 

Personal Expenses

$1,314
 

Loan Fees³

$194
 

Cost of Attendance

$36,366

*First year JD students pay 2 additional, one-time fees that are not included in the table above: a $100 Loan Repayment Assistance Program Fee and a $90 Student Bar Association Fee.

¹Health insurance is a direct cost (and you will therefore be charged for it) unless you waive the insurance offered through DU.

²Room and board may be direct costs if you live in campus housing and/or sign up for a meal plan.

³A 1% and 4% origination fee is taken out at disbursement of Federal Direct Unsubsidized loans and Graduate PLUS loans, respectively. The $194 listed is the average fee for law students who borrow Unsubsidized loans. Actual amounts will depend on the total borrowed.

Important Notes:

  • If you apply for aid, your financial aid award letter will itemize the specific costs that make up your individual student budget (which vary annually).
  • The budgets above do not include costs for the summer semester. Eligibility for financial aid for the summer is limited, and is evaluated during the spring semester prior to summer enrollment through a separate application.
  • To be fair and to stay in compliance with federal regulations, we do not change student budgets based on lifestyle preferences. We may, however, be able to make adjustments to your cost of attendance for reasons outlined on the Budget Adjustment Form. These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and do not guarantee additional financial aid.
  • All student budget parameters are determined by the Colorado Department of Higher Education and the Office of Financial Aid, and are published annually in March.
  • Our office must also verify your enrollment at the end of the 100% add/drop period of each semester, which may affect the amount of financial aid you can receive for that term.