Award Letter Policies and Regulations

A. Regarding This Offer of Financial Assistance:

This award is based on the reported financial information you submitted at the time you applied for aid. The student estimated expenses used in the budget are based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, criteria from the California Student Aid Commission and cost estimates from the San Diego area.

B. You Must Inform the Financial Aid Office If:

  1. Changes in your unit load: If you do not enroll for the number of units indicated on this financial aid award, you may not be permitted to complete your registration and your financial aid will not pay to your USD Student Account. Changes in enrollment may cause changes to your aid.
    • JD students must take at least six (6) units in the Fall and Spring and at least three (3) units in the Summer in order to receive federal student aid for that term.
    • LLM/MSLS students must take at least five (5) units in the Fall and Spring terms and at least three (3) units in the Summer in order to receive federal student aid for that term.
    • Paralegal Students must be in a minimum of 5 units in any term to received any federal student aid for that term.
  2. Change of marital status and/or financial circumstances: If your financial information or status changes since you filed FAFSA, a revision to your award may be necessary.
  3. Leave of absence or withdrawal: If you withdraw or take a leave of absence before the end of a semester, your award will be adjusted in accordance with the refund policies of the federal government and the University of San Diego.
  4. Increase in resources: When you receive additional resources, including outside scholarships, you MUST notify the Office of Financial Aid. Your financial aid eligibility may be adjusted in accordance with federal regulations.
  5. Declination of offer: If you wish to decline a particular aid type offered on this award and prefer that eligibility be transferred to another program, you must submit a written request.

C. General Conditions of Financial Assistance:

  1. USD School of Law reserves the right to revise this financial aid award. Modification to this award may be required by reductions or elimination in federal or institutional funding; corrections or changes in the data reported; receipt of additional resources; unintended errors; changes in unit load or other eligibility criteria.
  2. The loan awards are guideline amounts based on program criteria and federal loan limits. The Graduate PLUS loan program requires you to be credit-worthy or able to obtain a credit-worthy co-borrower. You should take a conservative approach to student borrowing, and borrow only the amount you need to meet your personal educational expenses. You are not required to borrow the entire amount offered.
  3. Your financial aid funds will be credited against your USD student account at the start of each semester, if all required steps have been completed. Once your tuition and fees are paid, any excess will be refunded to you. A check will be mailed to you unless you sign up for E-Refund (Direct Deposit) in the MySanDiego portal.
  4. While some loans can be accepted in the MySanDiego portal, the USD Law Access Loan and Tuition Credit Loans require the completion and submission of a paper contract. Additional steps may be required to complete the loan application process. Please refer to the instructions in the portal or on your award letter email.
  5. The cost of attendance listed in the portal does not include an allowance for the law school's mandatory health insurance. If you will be paying for health insurance and provide appropriate documentation to the Office of Financial Aid, budget allowances can be made to add the costs incurred
    during the period of enrollment . Please note that loan eligibility cannot be increased if you are being covered by your parent's plan.
  6. Federal Work-Study (FWS) is paid directly to you as it is earned and cannot be used to pay your tuition charges. A separate employment contract is required and must be obtained from the Financial Aid Office before you begin employment. Failure to have FWS paperwork approved and processed by the Financial Aid Office may result in cancellation of the award. If you wish to decline the FWS Offer, you may request that this eligibility be converted into a loan. Please submit your request in writing to the Law School Office of Financial Aid.
  7. Regardless of the amount of financial aid you accept, you are expected to bring a certain amount of cash to defray immediate expenses such as books, supplies, and personal necessities at the beginning of each semester.
  8. If you fail to maintain SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS towards your degree, your financial aid including scholarships may be reduced or canceled.
  9. You MUST RE-APPLY for financial aid each academic year. The FAFSA priority filing date for USD School of Law students is March 1.
  10. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with all policies and procedures governing your financial aid award as outlined in the School of Law Financial Aid documents and on the Office of Financial Aid website.