Entering Student Gift Aid FAQ

Berkeley Law offers a variety of gift aid opportunities, including grants, scholarships, and fellowships, to help support your legal education. Most awards are made as three-year commitments before the start of your J.D. program, though limited funding is available for Continuing Student Scholarships. Follow these steps to strengthen your application and maximize your chances of receiving gift aid:

1. Submit a Strong Admissions Application

Your admissions application plays a crucial role in the gift aid process.

1. • Complete the Scholarships Section: Self-identify for specific scholarships by filling out this section and providing any required supplemental materials.
   • Special Scholarships: Some awards, like the Berkeley Law Opportunity Scholarship and Public Interest Scholarship, have additional requirements. Carefully review the J.D. Admissions application instructions and submit any required documents by the December 15 deadline.
2. Post-Admission: Supplemental Gift Aid Application (SGA)

After admission, you’ll be invited to submit the Supplemental Gift Aid application (SGA) approximately one week later.

1. • Why Submit the SGA? The SGA allows you to provide information about financial obstacles you’ve faced, which can impact your gift aid offer.
   • Optional but Encouraged: While not mandatory, submitting the SGA is highly recommended for students seeking aid based on financial need. The admissions application alone will be considered if the SGA is not submitted.
   • Timely Submission: Early submission is essential, especially for funds with financial need components.
2. Special Considerations

• • Binding Early Decision Applicants: You can submit the SGA starting in December.
  • Deferred Admission Students: If you deferred admission from a prior year, you’ll receive an invitation to submit the SGA as early as January.

A Holistic Review Process

Both your admissions application and the SGA (if submitted) are evaluated in a holistic review process to determine your total gift aid offer. By following these steps and meeting deadlines, you’ll position yourself for the best possible financial support at Berkeley Law. Take advantage of these opportunities to ease the financial burden of your legal education!

Berkeley Law conducts a holistic review to determine gift aid offers, considering a range of factors that highlight a candidate’s unique qualities, achievements, and circumstances. These include:

• Leadership and Innovation: Demonstrated leadership combined with a passion for innovation and problem-solving. We value individuals who proactively identify challenges or unmet needs and address them with a blend of analytical skills and creative solutions.
• Specialized Knowledge or Dedication: A deep commitment to a specific field (e.g., patent law, banking regulation) or community (e.g., LGBTQ+ advocacy, foster youth). Alternatively, exceptional qualifications backed by significant research or professional expertise.
• Multi-Disciplinary Perspective: Experiences that span diverse personal, academic, and professional backgrounds, showcasing an ability to address complex societal or global challenges from multiple perspectives.
• Public Service and Policy Engagement: Substantial contributions to public service or policy-related work, including impactful initiatives in non-profits, government, or military service.
• Overcoming Adversity: A record of remarkable achievements despite personal or family challenges, such as being the first in the family to attend college, growing up in geographic isolation, or other significant obstacles.
• Financial Need: Current or past experiences of financial hardship, such as coming from a low-income background, qualifying for need-based programs like TANF, SSI, or Pell Grants as an undergraduate. Financial need is primarily assessed through the Supplemental Gift Aid (SGA) application.

Gift aid awards typically range from $15,000 to $75,000 ($5,000–$25,000 annually). While larger awards are rare, they are possible in exceptional cases. By taking these factors into account, Berkeley Law ensures that gift aid is awarded to students who demonstrate both exceptional promise and meaningful need.

Gift aid award recipients will be notified via email. You may receive an offer as early as one month after being admitted, but no sooner than December 15. Both your admissions application and your Supplemental Gift Aid Application (SGA), if submitted within 30 days of admission, are considered when determining your offer.

While you will be notified of your gift aid offer by email, the offer will not appear on the student portal, CalCentral, until late March or early April, before the deadline to submit your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR).

If you have not received a gift aid offer by March 30, it is likely we were unable to provide one. However, you are encouraged to apply for reconsideration through our Gift Aid Reconsideration Process, which opens on March 20 and closes on May 1. This process reallocates funds made available by students who decline their admission offers. Detailed instructions for submitting a reconsideration request are available on the admitted student webpage (CalNet authentication required).

Important Notes:

• We cannot guarantee a decision date for gift aid offers or reconsideration outcomes.
• If other law schools require you to respond to an offer before learning about your gift aid status at Berkeley Law, consider contacting those schools to request an extension.

Yes! Berkeley Law offers need-based aid to help reduce the potential debt burden of students who have faced or are currently facing significant financial hardship. To be considered, you must submit the Supplemental Gift Aid Application (SGA) by your specified deadline.

While many gift aid awards are based on a combination of financial need and merit, some—such as the Berkeley Law Grant—are awarded solely based on financial hardship. Regardless of the criteria, most gift aid offers are renewable for all three years of your J.D. program without annual re-evaluation of your financial need.

Key Points About Need-Based Aid:

• A portion of your total gift aid package may include need-based aid, funded through donations to various scholarships and fellowships.
• Your financial need is evaluated holistically using the SGA and your admissions application to understand the financial obstacles you’ve overcome.
• Total gift aid offers may combine named scholarships, grants, and fellowships into one award. Rest assured, your total award will match the amount promised, regardless of how it is itemized.

Financial Need Evaluation:
Different schools assess financial needs differently. Some use tools like the FAFSA, CSS Profile, or internal applications. At Berkeley Law, our holistic review process ensures your financial need is carefully considered, but this may lead to different outcomes compared to other institutions. You may receive a need-based award from another school but not from Berkeley Law, or vice versa.

Berkeley Law provides at least two weeks to consider your gift aid offer and will never require a response before April 1. We discourage “exploding” offers that pressure quick decisions. If you need more time, communicate with the Admissions Office to request a deadline extension. While extensions are not guaranteed, we aim to help you make an informed decision.

For questions, contact Admissions at admits@law.berkeley.edu.

To accept a gift aid offer, you must:

• Accept Berkeley Law’s admission offer.
• Withdraw from all other schools where you’ve been admitted, except for schools where you remain on a waitlist or are awaiting a final decision.

Respecting these requirements ensures fairness to other candidates awaiting funding decisions.

Gift aid deferments are rare and evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If you’re requesting to defer your admission and have been offered gift aid:

• Contact the Office of J.D. Admissions promptly.
• Be prepared to explain your request and the circumstances requiring deferment.

For guidance, email Admissions at admits@law.berkeley.edu.

If you are not offered gift aid or wish to have your application reconsidered, you can apply through the Gift Aid Reconsideration Process. Detailed instructions and deadlines are available on the admitted student webpage (CalNet authentication required).