We must ensure that Boalt continues to admit and educate the finest and most promising students— those with the ability, curiosity and fire to become leaders in law, business, public service, and in all of our communities. But the cost of coming to Boalt has skyrocketed 140 percent for residents and 83 percent for nonresidents in just the past five years. Today, nine out of 10 Boalt students receive some form of financial aid, and the typical student graduates with more than $60,000 in debt. Boalt has responded over the years with a variety of imaginative solutions to our students’ financial needs—loan repayment assistance for those entering public interest careers, scholarships, and fellowships—and we provide far more assistance proportionately than our peer schools. To continue our commitment to student access, the Campaign seeks $15 million for financial aid in scholarships and loan repayment assistance. We want the most attractive aid program among our peer institutions. Our mission requires nothing less.

Some highlights of our financial assistance programs and needs:

Loan Repayment Assistance Plan
LRAP supports our mission of training lawyers for public service by providing modest financial support for those who take nonprofit and government jobs, which generally pay far less than entry-level private-sector employment.

Summer Fellowships
We seek to expand support for students who want to take on public-service and public-interest work during the summer. In 2005, we granted fellowships to 141 students and seek to increase participation to more than 200 students per summer.

Post-Graduate Fellowships
We want to provide more post-graduate fellowship opportunities for new graduates seeking careers in public service. Peer schools offer numerous institutional fellowships for this purpose. We would like to see funding of several one-year post-graduate fellowships at $45,000 each.

Outreach and Recruitment
Boalt relies on smart and well-targeted recruiting to help attract the best students from the widest array of backgrounds. This program is a campaign priority because new restrictions on state and UC systemwide funding have placed our entire recruitment budget in jeopardy.