Tuition & Financial Aid: Frequently Asked Questions

Scholarship

Financial Aid

Billing and Student Accounts

Scholarship

Do you have merit based scholarships?

Our merit scholarships are awarded during the admissions process.  For more detailed information on the scholarships we offer please visit our Scholarship webpage.

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Is there a separate application to be considered for scholarship?

Our Dean’s, Tuition, and K. Leroy Irvis scholarships do not require a separate application.  After a student is admitted, he/she will be automatically reviewed for these scholarships.  Our Public Interest Scholarship Application is emailed to all admitted students.  Only admitted students that qualify will be invited to apply for the Cappy Scholarship.  More detailed information on the application process for this scholarship can be found on our Scholarship webpage.

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Do you have a Public Interest Scholarship?
We offer a Public Interest Scholarship that all admitted students are invited to apply.  The deadline for the Public Interest Scholarship is March 15th.  Rising 2L and 3L students are not eligible to apply for the Public Interest Scholarship.

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I am a rising 2L or 3L, what types of scholarship funding can I apply for?

As a rising 2L or 3L, please consider applying for the Janavitz Fellowship, Law Alumni Association Scholarship, or any of the endowment scholarships.  Deadlines for these scholarships are in the early spring.  Please visit the Scholarship webpage for more detailed information on the scholarships and application process.

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I am a rising 2L or 3L and was awarded the Dean's Scholarship, when will I get notification regarding the renewal?

The Dean's Scholarship requires the student to maintain a cumulative 2.8 GPA in their legal studies.  The cumulative GPA is reviewed only after the spring grades are available.  Spring grades are typically available to the financial aid office for review in late May or early June.  Once grades have been reviewed email notification is sent in mid-June and posted to your financial aid record in the University PeopleSoft system.

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I am a rising 2L or 3L and did not maintain the required 2.8 cumulative GPA to maintain my Dean's Scholarship; can I get the Dean's Scholarship back if I bring my grades up?

Yes, if you bring your cumulative GPA back up to the required 2.8 contact the financial aid office for an appeal of your Dean's Scholarship.  The financial aid office will verify your GPA with the law school registrar's office and if the GPA has met the requirements, the Dean's Scholarship can be reinstated.

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I am a rising 2L or 3L, and was awarded the Tuition Scholarship, when will I get notification regarding renewal?

The Tuition Scholarship requires the student to maintain academic progress and enrolled full time. There is no minimum GPA requirement.  Notification of the Tuition Scholarship renewal will be sent via email in mid-June and posted to your financial aid record in the University PeopleSoft system.

 

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Financial Aid

What is financial aid?
Financial aid consists of all scholarship and student loans that a student is eligible to receive for their studies.

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How do I apply for student loans?

The federal student loan program is the most widely used student loans.  To apply for and receive the federal student loans, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  More detailed information on federal student loans and alternative student loans can be found on our Loans webpage.

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What is Pitt Law’s School code for the FAFSA?

Pitt Law uses the same school code as the University of Pittsburgh, 008815.

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Why should I complete the FAFSA when I know I didn't qualify for aid as an undergraduate?

As an undergraduate student complete the FAFSA to determine their eligibility for federal and state grant funding.  As a law student, you will complete the FAFSA to be eligible for the Federal Student Loans such as the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan.  If you have a valid FAFSA, you may be eligible to receive the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan up to $20,500 for the academic year.  You may also qualify for the Federal Graduate PLUS loan.

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How much financial aid can I receive?

Students can receive financial aid (scholarship and student loans) up to their total cost of attendance.  As a state-related institution, Pitt Law has separate cost for Pennsylvania students and non-Pennsylvania students.  To see the breakdown of the cost, please visit our Costs webpage.

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What types of loans can I receive?

Students that complete the FAFSA can receive the Stafford Loan up to the amount of $20,500 for the academic year.  They can also borrow their remaining cost of attendance through the Federal Graduate PLUS loan or an alternative educational loan.

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When do I apply for student loans?

Students should complete their FAFSA in early June.  However, you can complete this later and your aid will still be processed as the FAFSA is received.  Students borrowing through the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan or an alternative loan can begin submitting their applications in late June or July.

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How do I apply for the Stafford Loan?

By completing the FAFSA, the school will automatically process the maximum Stafford Loan amount ($20,500) for you beginning in late June.  If you wish to borrow less than the maximum amount, contact the law school financial aid office at lawfa@pitt.edu to request a lower amount. 

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How do I apply for the Graduate PLUS Loan?

The Graduate PLUS loan requires a separate application and credit check.  You should apply directly with the U.S. Department of Education.  The Department of Education will run the credit check and notify the school of a completed and approved application.  If you are credit denied the Graduate PLUS loan, you have the option of appealing the credit decision directly with the Department of Education or applying with an endorser.  

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I do not want to utilize the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan and prefer to borrow through an alternative educational loan, how do I apply?

Pitt Law recommends utilizing the federal loans; however, some students may choose to borrow an alternative educational loan instead of the federal loans.  We strongly recommend researching the benefits and cost of both the federal loans and the alternative loans.  If you decide that an alternative loan is best for you, you should apply directly with the alternative loan lender.  The lender will notify the school of the application and we will process the loan beginning in mid-July.

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When are student loans processed?

The Stafford Loans are posted in the University PeopleSoft system beginning in late June.  The Federal Graduate PLUS Loan and any alternative educational loan will not be processed and posted in the University PeopleSoft system until mid-July (after the new tuition rate is announced).  As the financial aid is processed in the University PeopleSoft system, you will receive financial aid award notifications via email.  You may receive multiple financial aid notification as your financial aid is processed or changed.

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I over estimated the amount of financial aid I needed, can I reduce my student loan amount?

Students can reduce the amount of their student loans.  Please contact the law school financial aid office at lawfa@pitt.edu to determine the steps that you will need to take.

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I under estimated the amount of financial aid I needed, can I apply for additional funding?

If you have not borrowed up to your total cost of attendance, you may apply for additional funding through the Graduate PLUS loan or an alternative educational loan.  You must apply for this funding before the end of the semester.

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I am a 3L and need funding to help cover the study period between graduation and taking the bar exam, can I borrow student loans for this?

The study period between graduation and sitting for the bar exam is not considered a period of enrollment so you are not able to borrow federal student loans or a traditional alternative educational loan.  However, you can borrow through alternative loans that are specific to the bar exam study.  For more information on Bar Exam Loan, please visit our Loans webpage,  If you have additional concerns regarding borrowing for the bar exam, please feel free to contact the law school financial aid office to set up an appointment at lawfa@pitt.edu or 412-648-1415.

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Billing and Student Accounts

How can I view and pay my bill online?

Log onto my.pitt.edu and visit PittPay to view your billing statement and/or student account details.  Please note that the billing statement is run only once a month so it will not update with activating until billing is run again.  Your student account details will show account activity in real time.

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Where can I get an answer about a billing question?

Billing is handled at the Student Payment Center located in Thackeray Hall.  The Student Payment Center can answer questions regarding the Payment Plans, making payments, or charges. The Student Payment Center's phone number is 412-624-7520.   If you have a question regarding the posting of any financial aid such as scholarship or student loans, please contact the law school financial aid office at lawfa@pitt.edu.

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The federal loans and scholarships are posted as pending aid on my bill but has not been applied to by outstanding balance, what do I need to do to get the funds to post?

All federal aid and scholarships will be applied to your outstanding balance 10 days prior to the start of the semester.  If you pending aid exceed, your tuition bill, you do not need to make any payment arrangements as the Payment Center is counting the pending aid as payment.  If your pending aid does NOT cover your tuition bill, you must make payment arrangements by the due date to avoid a late charge on your bill.

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I still have a balance on my student account, after all of my financial aid has posted, what should I do?

If you have not applied of additional loan funds through either the Federal Graduate PLUS loan or an alternative loan, you may want to consider applying for these loans.  Or you can contact the Student Payment Center to make arrangement for a payment plan to cover your balance.

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The semester has started and my federal student loans are still showing a pending aid and has not disbursed to the school, what should I do?

If your aid has been processed and is showing a pending aid, you should contact the law school financial aid office at lawfa@pitt.edu or 412-648-1415 to determine if you have missing paperwork or another issue with your financial aid.

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I am owed a refund.  How can I get it?

If you receive financial aid (scholarship and loans) that exceed your tuition charges, you can get a refund.  All funds must first be received at the school and applied to any outstanding charges.  The Student Payment Center will then generate a refund for excess funding.  It is strongly recommended that you create a direct deposit profile in PittPay so that the refund can be sent to you via electronic funds transfer.  This will expedite the refund process.  For more information on Direct Deposit, please visit the Student Payment Center's webpage.

 

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