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prospective students > admissions > faqs
How do I apply for financial aid?
What kind of need-based aid is available?
What kinds of scholarships do you offer first year students?
Do you grant application fee waivers to applicants?
Do you offer loan repayment assistance?
How much does it cost?
Must letters of recommendation come from faculty members?
Are residents of Oregon given preferential treatment in the admission process?
How do I qualify for state residency?
When does school begin?
When should I take the LSAT?
What is the range for GPA and LSAT for the entering class?
Do you average the LSAT if students take it more than once?
When considering a student who has a graduate degree does the law school look at the applicant's graduate program GPA or the applicant's undergraduate GPA?
May I earn another graduate degree at the same time as my J.D.?
What kind of housing is available?
Do you offer special incentives to Teach for America participants?
How do I apply for financial aid?
Answer: Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) beginning January 1, 2008 and no later than March 1, 2008 to the University of Oregon Office of Student Financial Aid. Ensure that you designate the University of Oregon as a recipient of your FAFSA report.
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What kind of need-based aid is available?
Answer: Filing a FAFSA will help determine your eligibility for need-based financial aid. As a law student, you are considered "independent" rather than "dependent' for financial aid purposes. Please visit our Financial Services page for more information. About 90% of our students qualify for need-based financial aid.
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What kinds of scholarships do you offer first year students?
Answer: If you are interested in being considered for a merit-based scholarship, no additional form is required. You are automatically considered for a scholarship by the admissions committee when you are admitted. There are different opportunities for financial assistance available to first year law students:
- Law School Merit-Based Scholarships: Competition for merit-based scholarships is keen and amounts vary each year. In awarding scholarships, the admissions committee considers your past achievement and your potential professional contribution to our law school and to the legal profession. About 40% of our first year students are scholarship recipients. Most scholarship recipients are notified of their award in the letter of admission. Merit-based scholarships are completely renewable in the second and third year, if you remain in good academic standing (2.00 law GPA on a 4.00 scale), make satisfactory progress towards your degree, and are enrolled on a full-time basis.
- Other Law School Scholarships: Some scholarships have specific criteria that you must meet as a recipient. Most scholarship recipients are notified of their award in the letter of admission. They include:
- Derrick A. Bell, Jr. Scholarship, to minority students based on scholarly interest, achievement, and demonstrated ability
- Herbert B. Galton Labor Relations Scholarship, to a first year student with a demonstrated interest in labor relations, employment law, and alternative dispute resolution (renewable in second year)
- Jeanne Latourette Linklater Memorial Scholarship, to a first year student based on academic excellence;
- Caroline Forell Scholarship, awarded to a first year student with financial need
- Lorienne Conlee Fowler Scholarship, to a female first year law student on the basis of need and scholastic record (renewable in second and third year)
- Otto J. Frohnmayer Scholarship, to an Oregon resident who is a well-rounded student in good academic standing (renewable in second and third year)
- Wade and Elsie Plymell Scholarship, a one-year scholarship for a student with permanent disabilities
- Other scholarships offered by the University of Oregon require an application. For more information on University-based scholarships, please visit the Student Financial Aid web page. One example is the University of Oregon Diversity-Building Scholarship, recognizing graduate students who enhance the educational experience of all students by sharing diverse cultural experiences.
- Wayne Morse Fellowships are awarded by the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics to three first-year law students. The fellowships are not need-based and are initially awarded for one year with the possibility of renewal. They are based on the law student's academic achievements and a strong interest in public policy as demonstrated by their resume and personal statement.
Financial assistance for second and third year students is administered by the Student Affairs Office of the law school. These awards include scholarships, emergency loans, work study, stipends for Child Advocacy Project Fellows, and the Technology and Entrepreneurship Fellowships.
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Do you grant application fee waivers to applicants?
Answer: 1) Yes. If you receive a fee waiver from the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), the University of Oregon School of Law will grant you an application fee waiver. Attach a copy of the LSAC approval document to the certification letter (online application) or to the application form (paper application) and mail it to the Office of Admissions.
2) Yes, if you are a Teach for America corps member. To have your application fee waived, submit the appropriate Teach for America documentation with your application. For information, visit Teach for America.
3) Yes, if you can document financial hardship. Submit a written request explaining your need for a fee waiver, attach a copy of your current financial aid award letter or of your most recent tax return, and mail it to the Office of Admissions. Your request will be reviewed and if it is approved, your application will be automatically processed. If your request is denied, we will notify you to ask that you submit the $50.00 application fee. Once the fee is received, we will process your application. Please note that an applicant's decision to apply to a large number of law schools is not a demonstration of financial hardship.
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Do you offer loan repayment assistance?
Answer: Yes, the University of Oregon School of Law offers a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) to its recent graduates. Law graduates who meet the following four criteria may apply for LRAP support: you must be a graduate from December 2001 or later from the University of Oregon School of Law, employed in a qualified public interest law job, have an adjusted gross income of $45,000 or less annually, and have outstanding law school loan obligations.
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How much does it cost?
Answer: For the 2007-08 academic year, tuition and fees are $19,596 for Oregon residents and $24,396 for nonresidents. Please see our tuition and fees page for more details. The cost of living in Eugene, Oregon is quite favorable when compared to most other West Coast cities where law schools are located. Tuition and fees are subject to revision each July by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education.
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Must letters of recommendation come from faculty members?
Answer: Generally, letters of recommendation from professors are preferable because faculty members are best equipped to address the academic preparedness of an applicant for law school. However, if it has been some time since you earned your degree, a recommendation from an employer is acceptable. The employer's recommendation should speak to attributes that would be relevant to your suitability for the rigors of legal education, rather than be a character reference. Letters from family members are discouraged. Letters should be submitted through the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC).
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Are residents of Oregon given preferential treatment in the admission process?
Answer: Though the University of Oregon School of Law is one of three law schools in Oregon, we are the state's only public law school. We are committed to enrolling talented Oregon residents. The School of Law, though, receives applications from throughout the country, a testimony to the institution's national reputation. In recent years, Oregon residents have constituted about 40% of the first-year class.
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How do I qualify for state residency?
Answer: Applicants seeking admission as Oregon residents must complete the residency questions that are included in the application for admission. Residency information may be found at http://admissions.uoregon.edu/apply/resid.htm.
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When does school begin?
Answer: Classes begin August 18, 2008 for the fall 2008 first-year class. A three-day orientation occurs in the week prior to the first day of classes. Orientation is mandatory.
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When should I take the LSAT?
Answer: Take the LSAT after you have fully prepared for the examination. While the LSAT is offered four times a year, we strongly suggest that you take the test no later than the December administration. Outstanding applicants who have scores from the February and June administrations will be considered, however. March 1 is our application deadline. For more information about the LSAT and the required Law School Data Assembly Service, consult the Law School Admission Council Web site.
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What is the range for GPA and LSAT for the entering class?
Answer: In 2007-08, the median GPA (the GPA held by the student at the middle of the first-year class), is 3.45. The GPA at the 75th percentile of the first-year class is 3.68 and at the 25th percentile, the GPA is 3.27. The median LSAT score is 158. The 75th percentile for the LSAT is 160; the 25th percentile is 156.
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Do you average the LSAT if students take it more than once?
Answer: The American Bar Association, in surveying its member schools, asks that the highest LSAT score of each enrolled student be reported.
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When considering a student who has a graduate degree does the law school look at the applicant's graduate program GPA or the applicant's undergraduate GPA?
Answer: The admissions committee undertakes a holistic review of each individual application. This means it takes into account all of the information provided. Nonetheless, the possession of an advanced degree (such as a master's or Ph.D., or an international law degree) does not ensure admission. (Please note that the grade point averages reported for the profile of the first-year class use undergraduate grade point averages.)
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May I earn another graduate degree at the same time as my J.D.?
Answer: The University of Oregon offers several concurrent degree programs in the areas of business administration, environmental studies, international studies, and conflict and dispute resolution. Each program has application processes and requirements that are separate from the School of Law. Please see our Degree Programs and Conflict and Dispute Resolution Web sites for more information.
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What kind of housing is available?
Answer: Graduate student housing, owned by the University of Oregon, is open to law students. Please contact University Housing for more information. Most law students live off-campus within a short walk or ride to the university. Information about housing is sent to you shortly after you receive your letter of admission from the law school. The Register Guard, Eugene's local daily newspaper, publishes rental housing and lists homes for sale.
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Do you offer special incentives to Teach for America participants?
Answer: The University of Oregon School of Law is a partner with Teach for America recognizing a joint commitment to public service. TFA corps members can apply for admission without paying the application fee. In addition, TFA corps members who are admitted to the law school but wish to begin their two years of service prior to entering law school are guaranteed a two-year deferral. Please submit the appropriate Teach for America documentation with your application to the University of Oregon School of Law to have your fee waiver granted. Please visit Teach for America for more information.
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