Financial Aid

All students can pay their tuition plus various fees when they register for the semester, or they can participate in the University’s monthly payment plan. The plan allows them to divide all or part of their annual educational expenses into nine convenient monthly payments. For information on Alternative Loans for International Students, please visit our Office of Financial Aid website.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents may be eligible for an array of federal loan programs. Eligibility is determined by completion of a standardized form, which may be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. For more information, contact the UM School of Law Financial Aid office at 305-284-3115, or e-mail finaid@law.miami.edu.

Financial Assistance

Foreign students should be aware that education in the United States is expensive. Students therefore are encouraged to seek financial aid or scholarship funds from home country sources. For a directory of some of these sources, click here. For assistance in locating sponsoring organizations, contact the United States Embassy or Consulate, or the United States Information Agency in your country. We have had many students who have received partial sponsorship from law firms, corporations, or other organizations. In recent years, we have received students through the following special programs:

• Fulbright Scholarship
  The University of Miami welcomes Fulbright Scholars from around the world. During the previous five academic years, the School of Law has hosted up to five Fulbright Scholars each year. The Scholarship provides a stipend and a significant contribution toward tuition and fees. The selection process varies from country to country. For more information on the Fulbright office in your country, please consult their website.
• Cobb Family Fellowship
  The Cobb Fellowship was created by Charles E. Cobb, Jr. , former Ambassador to Iceland and a member of the Board of Trustees. The Scholarship provides a living stipend and tuition allowance (18 credits) for a graduate of the University of Iceland to study at the University of Miami for one year. In recent years, a number of law graduates from the University of Iceland have participated in this fellowship program.

Some of the Law School Scholarships that have supported LL.M. students in our programs in recent years include:

• Claude M. Olds Memorial Scholarship Fund
  This scholarship was established in 1989 as a result of a bequest by Claude M. Olds. Scholarships are awarded each year to students in the J.D. program or the LL.M. program in Comparative Law. Applicants who are citizens or residents of a Latin American country or who have an interest in pursuing a concentration in Latin American law studies are qualified for consideration.

• Felsenstein Scholarship Fund
  Oliver Felsenstein, a partner in the Frankfurt office of Clifford Chance LLP, created a scholarship fund for students in the Comparative LL.M. Program.  Mr. Felsenstein, who graduated from the Comparative LL.M. Program in 1991, created this scholarship in appreciation to University of Miami for the pivotal role that his master’s degree played in his legal career.  Applicants must demonstrate academic merit and need.  Preference will be given to applicants from a less developed country who would not otherwise have the financial means to attend the University of Miami School of Law’s Comparative LL.M. Program. 

• Francisco V. Garcia-Amador Scholarship
  This scholarship honors the late Professor Francisco V. Garcia-Amador. This is a nonrenewable scholarship for a foreign graduate law student.

• Rafael C. Benitez Scholarship
  Alumni of the International and Foreign Graduate Programs, together with the family of Rafael C. Benitez, have raised funds to support LL.M. students who are graduates of foreign countries. This fund was created in memory of the founder of our program, who served as a mentor to many of the first foreign students enrolled at the University of Miami School of Law.

• Dean's Merit Scholarships
  The School of Law awards partial scholarships equivalent to approximately one-quarter of tution costs each year to entering students with excellent academic records and other outstanding qualifications for the graduate study of law.

Application Process for Law School Scholarships

To request a scholarship from the School of Law, please complete a Scholarship Request Form and submit it with your application to the applicable LL.M. Program. A short letter describing your need and interest may also be included with your application for admission in lieu of the form. The scholarship committee generally meets in April of each year to begin awarding scholarships for the following fall semester. We encourage you to apply before this date if you wish to be considered for scholarship assistance.