Financial Aid FAQs
The following are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about financial aid at New England Law | Boston. If your question is not answered here or you need further information, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at (617) 422-7232 or finaid@nesl.edu and we would be happy to assist with your financial aid questions!
For "law school FAQs" about Admissions, please visit our Law School Admissions Questions webpage.
Applying for Financial Aid
What is the financial aid application process at New England Law?
What is New England Law's FAFSA code?
What is financial need, and how is it calculated?
What determines eligibility for federal aid?
I am independent from my parents. Why does the Office of Financial Aid ask for their information?
What types of grants and scholarships are available and how can I apply?
Are there any outside scholarships available?
I am an international student. How can I apply for funds?
What information must I submit to be considered for financial aid?
What financial aid deadlines should I be aware of?
How long will it take for me to hear about my financial aid award?
What steps should I take after I receive my award letter?
Receiving Funds
How long will the process take to apply for and receive funds?
What should I do to ensure disbursement of my Federal Stafford Loan funds?
What should I do to ensure disbursement of my Federal Perkins Loan funds?
What should I do to ensure disbursement of my Federal Graduate PLUS or Private Loan funds?
When and where can I receive my refund check for living expenses?
Federal Work-Study Program
How do I apply for Federal Work-Study?
Loan Repayment
What should I do before my loans enter repayment?
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Financial need is the difference between your resources and the total cost of attending law school. After you are admitted to New England Law, the director of financial aid reviews your application to calculate your financial need.
Your completed financial aid documents will provide information needed to calculate your contribution and that of your family to education from income and assets. New England Law will calculate your unmet financial need by subtracting your family contribution, Federal Stafford Loans, and any outside assistance that you receive from the total cost of attendance.
To be eligible for financial aid, you must:
- be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen,
- be registered at least half-time,
- be registered with the Selective Service (if required),
- be enrolled in a degree program,
- not be in default or owe a refund on any federal grant or educational loan, and
- have good credit history (for Grad PLUS/private loan approval).
Even if you are attending New England Law independent of aid from your parents, the Office of Financial Aid may still ask for parental information. This is only necessary if the applicant wishes to be considered for institutional need-based grants and scholarships and is under the age of 25 as of March 1, 2011.
If you want to be considered for federal loans only, do not check off "Institutional Grants/Scholarships" on your financial aid application. If you have done so in error, you may email a request to the Office of Financial Aid asking for your parental information to be waived and to be considered for federal aid only.
If your parents are unwilling to provide you with their information or are in a situation where only limited information is available to you (they have divorced, remarried, etc.), please send a letter to the Office of Financial Aid to explain your situation. If your parents are divorced, we only require information from your custodial parent/the parent with whom you most recently lived with for most of the year.
New England Law offers both need-based grants and merit-based scholarships. You are automatically considered for merit-based aid by the Merit Scholarship Committee upon your admission to the school. To be considered for need-based aid, you must complete a financial aid application packet and check the appropriate box on the application. It is also extremely important that you submit your paperwork on time, as funding is limited and is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Please see the Grants/Scholarships page for more information.
You are also eligible to seek outside scholarships. The Office of Financial Aid regularly posts information on outside scholarships as we learn about them. Our current listing is available online. Please visit this site for new scholarship listings throughout the year.
- Incoming Students: The Office of Financial Aid reviews your financial aid after you are admitted. All students should should expect to hear about their award two to four weeks after their file with the office is complete. If considerable time has passed since you submitted the materials, please contact us. We can confirm whether we have received all necessary materials and have the correct mailing address for sending your award letter.
- Returning Students: Returning students begin to be reviewed in May. Students can expect to begin receiving their award letters by mid to late May, assuming your file was completed on time. You are able to check the status of your materials through the Financial Aid page on NECIN, to make sure everything that's needed for review has been received. Students who have applied for Summer Work-Study will receive an email regarding their work-study awards in early May, prior to the start of the summer work period.
- Merit/Scholarship Students (Returning): Merit students should expect to hear about their financial aid award two to three weeks after the Office of Financial Aid receives the final grades information from the Office of the Registrar (assuming your file is already complete).
All financial aid application materials should be submitted by the appropriate deadlines. Failure to do so may hinder your chances of receiving need-based aid and could delay the arrival of funds to New England Law.
International students who are coming to New England Law and are ineligible for federal loans may email the Office of Financial Aid for a listing of appropriate private lenders along with an estimated budget.
Loan applications are processed after eligibility is established. Funds for the academic year are not disbursed to the school until at least 10 days prior to the start of your academic program; refunds are not allowed to be issued until the first week of classes. Funds applied for after the initial disbursement in a semester may take 2-4 weeks to be received.
Provided you submitted all application materials on time, funds have been disbursed on time and your tuition balance is already paid, refunds are generally available during the first week of classes. The refund checks are handled by the Office of Student Accounts, located at 46 Church St., 2nd floor, and are typically issued Wednesdays and Fridays, after your funds have posted. Refunds are split during the year, according to the loan disbursements - one in the fall and one in the spring.
Please note: Refunds are NOT available prior to the first day of classes in any semester, regardless of situation. Federal regulations prohibit us from releasing funds to students prior to that time.