No. File as soon as you can so that your application for financial aid can be considered as soon as possible after you are admitted.
You can complete the application forms with the best estimate of your prior year income. Depending on what types of aid you are applying for, you may need to submit signed copies of federal tax returns to our office once they are completed. It is important to provide the most accurate information you possibly can, because when the actual data is reviewed, this could affect your eligibility.
No. You do not have to include retirement plan accumulations when totaling the value of assets. However, any annual contribution must be reported since they are considered discretionary payments and are usually untaxed income.
Yes. Students in the part-time program can apply for financial aid to assist with both tuition and living expenses.
Yes, you are required to inform us about your outside aid as this may effect your eligibility for other financial aid funds. It’s helpful to know this early in the process. If we find out about the outside aid when the sponsor sends your money to Hofstra, it may cause budgeting problems, especially if we have to cancel aid you are no longer eligible to receive.
You should make an appointment with the financial aid office to discuss budgeting concerns.
There are priority deadlines established to ensure timely processing of financial aid requests, but students can request financial aid throughout most of the academic year. Review the rest of our website for general guidance on financial aid and contact our office if you need assistance with the application process.
The vast majority of students attending Hofstra Law are financial aid recipients. In fact, this past year, approximately 80 percent of all Hofstra Law students were receiving some form of financial aid. Financial aid does not just include free grant assistance. It also incorporates federal, institutional and private education loan assistance. Students who do not qualify for any of our scholarships may still qualify for financial aid from the Federal Stafford loan program and from a number of private education loan sources. All students can apply for financial aid money (loans) from our office to finance the full cost of their legal education.
Yes, you must reapply each year.
In order to give you a clear understanding of the Hofstra Law financial aid application process, we have broken our process into a series of steps that outlines what you need to do to complete your application and what you can expect to receive from us during the application process. Everything you need to know about applying for financial aid can be found in the Applying for Aid section of our website. Please contact us if you have questions or need more detailed assistance.
Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University
Office of Financial Aid
108 Hofstra University, Joan Axinn Hall
Hempstead, New York 11549
Fax: 516-463 5929
If you have received your Student Aid Report (SAR) and listed Hofstra University’s school code (002732), we will have access to your FAFSA data. If you have not received your SAR and it has been more than four weeks since you completed your FAFSA, call FAFSA at 800-4-FED-AID to inquire on the status. When completing the FAFSA, please make sure the personal information you provide matched that on your LSAC account.
A Master Promissory Note (MPN) is a legal binding contract you enter into when you obtain a student loan. In most cases, it is the actual loan application that also lists the conditions and terms of the loan as well as information about interest calculations, deferment and loan cancellations. You should carefully read all application and promissory note material. Remember that the promissory note is your contract with the lender. You should file your promissory notes with your permanent financial records.
Master Promissory Notes and entrance interviews are valid for 10 years. If you are a Hofstra University graduate and have borrowed through Hofstra University, you should not need to complete another promissory note or entrance interview.
No, this MPN is only for the Federal Direct loan program. Grad PLUS and Perkins loans have their own MPN that must be signed.
No. Students are only eligible for $20,500 per year in Federal Direct Loan funds. You will most likely need to round out your aid with a Grad PLUS or private loan.
The Federal Perkins Loan is a no-fee federal loan that does not accrue interest while you are in school (or in grace) and has a 5 percent fixed interest rate during repayment. The loan is borrowed through Hofstra University, which receives an annual allocation from the U.S. Department of Education. Although there is limited funding available for this loan program, there is no special application for this loan as students are considered for this loan during the normal financial aid process. Students interested in more detailed information should contact the Financial Aid Office directly.
