Financial Aid

An Ohio State legal education is one of the best values among nationally ranked law schools. The annual cost of tuition for residents of Ohio is approximately half the tuition charged by some comparably ranked private law schools. Nonresidents of Ohio who relocate to the state may be re-classified as Ohio residents after residing in the state for 12 months.

In addition to personal and family savings, Ohio State law students meet the costs of their legal education through a combination of scholarship and grant assistance from the Moritz College of Law, the university, and external organizations; loans from the federal government and private lenders; and part time employment during the academic year and summer employment.

The financial aid awarding philosophy of Moritz Law reflects the college's desire to provide financial assistance to students who are especially financially needy, who are likely to excel in their legal studies, or who add to the diversity of the student body. The college also is committed to providing aid to students who have a record of service to the public and to the Moritz College of Law community. Through the generosity of alumni, friends and others, Moritz Law annually awards more than $4.2 million in financial aid to students.

The priority application deadline for financial aid consideration is March 1, though applying earlier is strongly recommended. In order to qualify for need-based aid from the Moritz College of Law, the Perkins Loan, and/or the Stafford Loans, a Free Application for Federal Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) form or a FAFSA Renewal form should be completed at the earliest possible date after the FAFSA form becomes available in early January.

The FAFSA form may be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The Ohio State federal code is 003090. A paper FAFSA form may be obtained by contacting the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243.

Once the appropriate financial aid applications have been submitted, the Moritz College of Law and the university's Office of Student Financial Aid will prepare a financial aid package for each submitted applicant. Typically, this occurs between mid March and early June, depending upon the date of admission and the date that the FAFSA and/or Moritz College of Law Need-Based Grant Application are filed.

Assistance regarding financial aid at the Moritz College of Law is provided by staff members in the Moritz College of Law Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (not the University Office of Student Financial Aid). The Moritz College of Law Office of Admissions and Financial Aid welcomes students' questions and concerns in-person, by phone, and by e-mail. Contact us at lawfinaid@osu.edu or by calling (614) 292-8807.

Walk-in appointments for current students are available Monday through Friday, with alternating hours each week. Walk-in appointment hours are posted in 104 Drinko. Entering students may schedule an appointment to discuss financial aid when visiting the Moritz College of Law.