Loans

Loans are the principal source of aid available to law students to fund their legal education. Loans with the most favorable terms are always made available first to offset student financial need. The vast majority of educational loans are provided by the federal government, but students have the option of determining whether a private loan may make more sense to them financially.

Federal student loans are available to most students regardless of income and provide a range of repayment options including income-based repayment plans and loan forgiveness benefits, which other education loans are not required to provide.

Please note that only students eligible for federal student aid (typically U.S. citizens and permanent residents) are eligible to receive federal student loans. If you are not eligible for federal or private educational loans, typically Berkeley Law nor the University of California, Berkeley will be able to provide you with an institutional loan. Students eligible for the California DREAM Act, see below for loan options.