FAQs

For information regarding costs, please visit the “Tuition and Fees” page on the Hofstra University website.

Please visit the financial aid homepage for JD program cost of attendance.

No, the budget is a guideline for planning your expenses for the academic year. In fact, many students find that their actual expenses are less than the amounts allowed under the budget. Living on less now allows you to borrow less and to save money in the long run.

Federal regulations mandate that the student expense budget only include education-related expenses. There are many items which students assume can be included in the student expense budget that are prohibited. The following are some examples of what cannot be included in the cost of attendance:

• Consumer Debt: Students are advised that the budget will not allow for any consumer debt, such as monthly credit card payments. Students are advised to budget wisely prior to attending law school and pay off as much credit card debt as possible. The Law School Office of Financial Aid cannot make allowances for credit card debt.

• Moving/Relocation Expenses

• Expenses for Housing During Periods of Non-enrollment

• Bar Expenses: Bar study and exam expenses are not allowed under the student expense budget; however, many lenders offer private consumer loans to law students. These loans assist students with paying for the expenses of a bar preparation course and living expenses associated with taking a bar exam after graduation.

If you have a legitimate educational expense that causes you to exceed your student budget, our office can consider an adjustment, once appropriate documentation is reviewed and approved. Please bear in mind that adjustments are, for the most part, only made under extraordinary circumstances.

If you have not borrowed up to the budget, you may not need a budget increase. If you have borrowed up to the budget you may request a budget increase for the purchase. You will need to complete the Hofstra Law Budget Appeal Request Form and attach supporting documentation of the computer expenses.

In order to be considered an allowable budget expense under federal guidelines, the purchase of the computer needs to occur either during or just prior to the start of the academic year.

$1,500 is the maximum for computer expense. Proof of purchase must be submitted for a budget adjustment to be made.

The following items will be considered: computer purchase up to $1,500 (one time only), loan fees, transportation costs, dependent childcare costs, and other personal educationally-related expenses (as noted on the form). Please note that cost of living increases will not be approved.

Financial aid is more than just grant assistance. Education loans are also a large part of the total financial aid available (and needed) to finance the cost of a legal education. These grants and loans come from a variety of different sources. These include, but may not be limited to, the U.S. Government, Hofstra Law institutional funds, Hofstra University funds, outside awards & scholarships sources and private education loan funds.

Hofstra Law uses a standard student budget when packaging federal and campus-based financial aid. Other educationally related expenses may be taken into consideration, such as child care, computer expenses and transportation. (Services such as Uber and Lyft costs will not be considered.) These adjustments to the standard student budget are reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis. A completed Budget Appeal Request Form for should be submitted to the Law School’s Office of Financial Aid. The Office of Financial Aid produces financial aid offers for admitted law students, which reflect eligibility for federal student loans. Grant and scholarship awards made by the Law School are assimilated into the federal student aid offer resulting in a package combining the federal student loans, and grants and scholarships.

Financial need is the difference between the cost of attendance (student budget) and our assessed student contribution. Hofstra is required by law to use the Federal Methodology formula to determine a student's eligibility for federal financial aid. The data used to conduct this analysis is collected via the FAFSA. Graduate students are always treated as independent for the purposes of determining eligibility for federal aid and therefore, they do not need to submit parental information on the FAFSA.

Your Expected Family Contribution is determined by the data collected on the FAFSA. The information you provide goes through a Federal Methodology formula, which calculates your EFC.

Yes, Hofstra Law offers both merit and need-based financial aid.

No. The Office of Financial Aid sends you a financial aid award letter. Your financial aid award is also available on your Hofstra Portal. Your award notice lists any scholarships, grants, loans, or Work-Study that you are eligible to receive.

The Office of Student Financial Services sends you a bill which is also available to view on your Hofstra Portal. Your bill is the actual amount you owe the University. Financial aid administered by the Office of Financial Aid is applied directly to the charges listed on your bill. You are responsible for paying any amount not covered by these awards.

The Hofstra Law financial aid process applies the same need analysis and packaging guidelines to all students. In a given school year, students with similar financial circumstances will receive similar aid packages, regardless of their year in school. However, it is not unusual for a student's financial aid award to change over the three years while enrolled at Hofstra.

Financial aid packages should be evaluated based on quantity and quality. A good measure of the quantity of your aid package is to figure out how much financial aid money you will have left after paying your tuition and fees instead of simply considering the total amount. A financial aid package can be considered high quality if it allows a reasonable level of self-help awards (loans and work-study) compared to the total cost of education at the school.

Compare the different packaging philosophies and awarding policies at each school. Be aware of changes or prorating that may take place as you continue your legal education. Knowing what to expect after your first year in law school can be a crucial part of making your final choice about which law school to attend.

Hofstra Law does not "negotiate" or match financial aid awards from other universities. It may be that another university is offering scholarships based on factors such as merit, and not demonstrated financial need or a combination of the two. If, however, the other school has information about your family's financial situation that you did not share with us, or if you have reason to believe we have made an error in our evaluation, please contact us to discuss a possible re-evaluation.

Students do not need to reapply for merit scholarships. If, however, you have received need-based aid in addition to the merit scholarship, then you must update your financial records by renewing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year. Students receiving merit scholarships have to meet the academic standard noted in their scholarship letter.

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 submit the FAFSA before completing the current year’s tax returns, as it uses prior-prior year tax information. 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. 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 the Graduate PLUS loan program. 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.

The FAFSA is electronic and should be submitted at https://FAFSA.gov. Any additional paper documents can be submitted to:

Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University
Office of Financial Aid, Joan Axinn Hall
108 Hofstra University
Hempstead, New York 11549

Fax: (516) 463-6264
Email: lawfinaid@hofstra.edu

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 provided matches 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 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 two offices have separate administrative functions. Hofstra Law’s Office of Financial Aid, located in Joan Axinn Hall across from the law school, determines eligibility for grants, scholarships, loans and work-study. We also provide services such as financial planning, entrance and exit interviews and other guidance related to managing your money. You should contact the Law School’s Office of Financial Aid for all questions related to financial aid eligibility and your student account, including payment plan set up, refund requests and the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). Student Financial Services, located on the second floor of Memorial Hall, is responsible for billing and collecting payments from students for Law School tuition and other charges.

To obtain the funds offered in your financial aid award notice you must (1) accept the award and follow all instructions in the award notice and (2) complete other documents as needed to obtain funds offered (e.g., a student loan application/master promissory note or loan entrance interview). It can take up to six weeks to receive disbursements under some financial aid programs. Please plan ahead and enroll with sufficient funds to cover at least your first two weeks of living expenses. Financial aid is disbursed at the beginning of each semester in which funds are awarded. Please contact Hofstra Law’s Office of Financial Aid to assist you with billing questions.

You will receive an e-bill for the Fall semester from the Hofstra University Student Financial Services Office in July. You must respond to the bill by the specified due date. The Spring semester bill will generally arrive in early December and is generally payable in early January. Please follow the due date on the statement. If you have been awarded Hofstra Law merit aid, or have applied for loans which have been processed by the Office of Financial Aid, a temporary credit for these funds may appear on your billing statement. Please contact Hofstra Law’s Office of Financial Aid to assist you with billing questions.

Don't worry, if you have completed your FAFSA and all requirements or applied for a private loan before July, your student account will indicate that you have pending aid and you will not be charged late fees.

Hofstra grants and scholarships and federal loans will appear as pending credits on your tuition bill. Students whose scholarships or federal loans do not appear on their bills should contact Hofstra Law’s Office of Financial Aid. Half of the scholarship and federal loans are applied toward each semester. In order to use a private loan toward the tuition deadline, the loan must be approved by the lender and certified by the University. Please keep in mind that private loans are disbursed based on the dates requested on the application; if the loan is for the full year, equal amounts will be applied to the fall and spring semesters.

Yes, if you withdraw from Hofstra Law, or change the number of credit hours for which you are enrolled, your eligibility for financial aid will likely change as well. You should contact the Law School’s Office of Financial Aid to discuss how it may affect your eligibility.

April 1 is the priority deadline for filing for institutional need-based grants and loans. June 30 is the deadline for having a completed financial aid file in order to avoid any late fees.

• Admitted Students: Admitted students will receive an award letter approximately two to three weeks after they have been admitted and their financial aid application has become complete. However, please note that our financial aid systems are not typically prepared for the new admissions/financial aid cycle until the middle of February or early March. Therefore, students who are admitted and complete their application prior to March may have to wait until our systems are ready for processing before receiving notice of their financial aid award. Students whose file is completed after June 30th may not be processed in time to have financial aid credits reflected on the fall semester term bill. While we make every effort to process these late applications in time to get financial aid credited on the term bill, students who apply late may need to make other temporary arrangements to satisfy their term bill and register for fall classes until their financial aid is processed.
• Returning Students: Returning students whose aid applications are completed by April 1, the priority deadline for filing for institutional need-based grants and loans, can expect to receive their financial aid award letter. Students whose file is completed after June 30 may not be processed in time to have financial aid credits reflected on the fall semester term bill. While we make every effort to process these late applications in time to get financial aid credited on the term bill, students who apply late may need to make other temporary arrangements to satisfy their term bill and register for fall classes until their financial aid is processed.

During the summer before your matriculation, our office sends admitted students correspondence via email to the address on file with the Office of Admissions. We may periodically send correspondence to your permanent mailing address. Once enrolled, we will send correspondence to your Hofstra Pride email. Additionally, please update your addresses as needed with Hofstra Law’s Office of Academic Records or via your Hofstra Portal.

Read the emails sent to you and periodically take a look at the financial aid website; important information and reminders about key upcoming deadlines and events will be posted here. We are working hard to keep our site updated and useful so that you can get what you need quickly and efficiently in one central location.

All loans are disbursed in two parts at the beginning of each semester (10 days prior to the first day of classes). Lenders will electronically wire the disbursement monies directly to Hofstra University’s Office of Student Accounts, which, in turn, will apply the funds to your account.

Hofstra University generally requests that student loans be disbursed to the University ten days prior to the first day of class for the upcoming semester. Students have the right to cancel all or part of the loan or disbursement prior to or after the funds have been disbursed to the University. Prior to the disbursement of the loan students should contact Hofstra Law’s Office of Financial Aid and request that the loan be canceled or reduced. After the loan has been disbursed to the University, students can submit a form, which can be found on Law School’s website or obtained from the Office of Financial Aid. You can contact the Office of Financial Aid to request the form at lawfinaid@hofstra.edu.

If you borrowed loans greater than the amount of your Hofstra Law tuition bill, you can request a refund of your credit balance through the Student Refund Request Form, which is located in the Student Services section of your portal.

You can view the status of your account through your Hofstra Portal.

If you have a refund, visit the Refund Policy page to learn how to request a refund and view our refund policy.

No, only U.S. citizens and permanent residents may apply for Stafford Loans.

International students may be eligible to receive Hofstra Law merit-based scholarship funding only, as determined by the Office of Admissions.

Please note: Due to their ineligibility for federal loans, many international students may have a significant gap between total costs and available funding. Thus, we encourage all international students to investigate all available options in their home countries and outside funding organizations. International students may also get useful information at http://www.edupass.org/.

The only alternative financing available is through a private lender/bank. Most require a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen. Approval of these loans is made independently by the lending institution after Hofstra certifies your enrollment and cost of attendance.

Yes, they are based on need and funding is very limited.

Repayment begins six months from the date of your actual last day of classes, whether it be your last semester, a leave of absence or if you should drop below a half-time status.

Repayment begins immediately after the actual last day of your classes, whether it be your last semester, a leave of absence or if you should drop below a half-time status. Your first payment will be due 60 days after the loan is fully disbursed.

Repayment of private loans generally begins from six to nine months after graduation. You need to contact your individual lender for the exact start date.

Deferment forms should be requested from your lender.

All deferment forms should be submitted to the Office of Academic Records. Please contact them with any questions regarding this process (516) 463-5917.

Loan consolidation allows borrowers to combine their federal education loans into a single loan with one monthly payment. This consolidation loan will have a fixed interest rate based on the average of the interest rates on the loans being consolidated. You can view more information here: https://studentaid.gov/app/launchConsolidation.action

Yes, our Loan Repayment Assistance Program is available to students who enter qualifying public interest employment and meet the program’s guidelines.

Most lenders use internet and telephone application processes.

After you have been admitted and have received your Financial Aid Award letter and at least six weeks prior to the start of the semester to insure the funds are here in time.

Yes, a lender will determine whether or not they will lend to you based on your credit history. If your credit might be an issue, pull your credit report and make any corrections you can. To receive a copy of your credit report, you can go to www.annualcreditreport.com.

Hofstra does have a loan program, but it is based on need and the funding is very limited.

If you think that you will need more funds, please contact Hofstra Law’s Office of Financial Aid and request information concerning a budget appeal. Loans will only be approved up to the cost of attendance.

After you provide your lender with the required information, they will perform a credit check and, in most cases, will notify you of their decision within minutes. If approved, your lender will prompt you to complete and sign a promissory note for the loan. Following the approval, the lender will contact Hofstra Law for school certification and disbursement information. This accelerated pre-approval process is an excellent opportunity for students to quickly secure information about their eligibility for private loans and for those traveling outside the country during the summer months.

When applying for a private student loan, we recommend that you only work with one lender at a time. Completing simultaneous loan applications will add credit inquiries to your credit report that can, ultimately, reduce your credit score. If your first choice of lenders declines your application and you’ve exhausted all possibilities of obtaining an approval from them (e.g., reapplying with a cosigner), you can, at this point, complete a second loan application with an alternative lender.

You’re eligible to borrow up to the approved budget less any anticipated scholarships and/or Federal Stafford loans. We encourage you to be conservative about the amount you borrow, borrowing only what you need.

It is important that you start a financial aid file. In it, keep your award letter, letters coming from the federal government and all Student Account statements. This should help with taxes and repayment after graduation.

Part or all of a grant, scholarship or fellowship may be taxable even if you do not receive a W-2 form. If you are in a degree program, amounts you use for expenses other than tuition and course-related expenses (e.g., amounts used for room, board and travel) are taxable. To determine this taxable amount, add up all grant, scholarship and fellowship awards received in a calendar year, then subtract all tuition, fees, and book and supply expenses. If the remaining amount is a positive number, it must be reported as income. This amount must also be reported on Worksheet C of your FAFSA. If you are not in a degree program, the full amount of the grant, scholarship or fellowship is taxable.

Yes. Any money received as the result of work (i.e., Work-Study employment, temporary employment on- or off-campus, some fellowships, etc.) is considered taxable income. You will be asked to file a withholding form (W-4) and you will receive a statement of income and taxes withheld form (W-2) each calendar year. Your taxable earnings from need-based employment must also be reported on Worksheet C of your FAFSA. Questions regarding your withholding status should be directed to the University Payroll Office.

Look carefully at your budget and figure out how much you have to spend each month. Add the room and board to the personal costs, then divide it by nine months. Find affordable housing. Remember that you are a student. The more modest you are now, the less you will need to be once you are a lawyer.

Every budget increase to your Grad PLUS or private loan is unsubsidized. This means that you are accruing interest throughout the year on your loan. A student who borrows $50,000 in private funds over three years at a 6.8% interest rate will have a monthly payment of roughly $800. If you add the federal loans, which will amount to $55,500 with a monthly payment of $600 per month or so, you are looking at paying $1,400 per month after graduation. This is a lot of debt to take on – even for a lawyer!

Our office provides more services than just processing financial aid applications. If you need help understanding your finances, learning money management skills or repairing your credit, you can make an appointment with Hofstra Law’s Office of Financial Aid and get help with these sorts of issues.

There are a number of websites that can help you investigate financial aid, credit, tax, and other topics, and we have dedicated a portion of our website to assist you in your financial planning.

Students attending Hofstra Law are encouraged to work over the summer to assist with their educational expenses. However, if a student wishes to attend the summer sessions, they must provide their own financial assistance. Stafford Loans, Grad PLUS Loans or student private/alternative loans may be an option. Students must be registered in a total of 5 credits in the summer terms to be eligible for federal aid.

Hofstra Law offers students several opportunities to study abroad while pursuing their JD degree. Students wishing to participate in one of Hofstra’s study abroad programs will continue to have their financial aid processed by Hofstra Law’s Office of Financial Aid. Scholarship aid and federal loans will continue uninterrupted if the student remains enrolled full-time during the fall and/or spring semester. If you will be studying abroad through a third-party, a Consortium Agreement Form must be submitted to Hofstra Law’s Office of Financial Aid.

If your study abroad trip will take place during the summer, please contact the Office of Financial Aid to discuss your options.

You may request that your student budget be increased to reflect higher living expenses, the cost of your airfare and additional fees associated with the study abroad program. If you are approved to study abroad, the Office of Student Affairs will send you a letter approving the program. You may submit this letter with a written request to adjust your budget.

Students should take the following steps regarding their financial aid in the semester preceding their participation in a study abroad program:

1. Arrange with a family member or friend to coordinate your finances while you are abroad.
2. Provide the Office of Financial Aid with the contact information for all third-party billing payments.
3. Request increases to your student budget and apply for additional loans, if necessary.
4. If you need to endorse your private loan check, please do so before you leave. Otherwise the Student Accounts Office will have to forward the check to you to endorse and wait for you to return it before the refund can be processed.

Please be aware that the Law Financial Aid Office is unable to advance funds for students who are studying abroad. You must follow the same refund policies that are in effect for all other students. In many cases we are unable to process your refund check before you leave the U.S. You should bring sufficient funds to cover your expenses for at least one month.

Students may choose to attend another law school while completing their J.D. at Hofstra Law. Hofstra Law’s Office of Financial Aid will continue to process your federal and private loans as long as the Dean’s Office has approved your request to visit another school. The amount of the loans will be adjusted to reflect the host school’s student budget.

Students receiving scholarship aid should be aware that they will not receive their scholarship while they attend another law school. If a student decides to visit another law school and then returns to Hofstra to complete their studies, the scholarship will be reinstated.

Transferring loans to the host school involves the following steps:

1. The student is accepted by the host school as a visiting student and registers for classes there.
2. The host school’s financial aid office completes a Hofstra Law consortium agreement form.
3. The Consortium Agreement is returned to Hofstra for approval by the Office of Financial Aid.
4. Once the Consortium Agreement is approved, the loan funds will be disbursed to Hofstra University.
5. Hofstra University will forward the loan funds to the host school.

Please note: The above steps must be completed for each semester that the student is visiting away. Please be aware that the refund process may be delayed since the consortium agreement must be reviewed by Hofstra University before the loan funds can be forwarded to the host school. You should have enough funds with you for at least a month of expenses in the event that there are delays.

Students who transfer from the part-time to the full-time program are eligible to apply for federal loan funds and private loan funds, just as they could prior to transferring. The primary impact is that the cost of attendance is adjusted to reflect the full-time enrollment status.

When you decide to apply for admission to transfer to Hofstra Law, you should begin the financial aid process. You do not need to wait for an offer of admission before submitting the FAFSA, as any delays in submission may result in a processing delay of financial aid funds. The FAFSA can be completed online at www.fafsa.gov and should be submitted by the April 1 deadline if possible. Be sure to list Hofstra University with the school code of 002732.

After you have been admitted to Hofstra Law, you should notify Student Affairs and the Office of Financial Aid of your intent to transfer. These administrators play significant roles to finalize necessary separation paperwork from both the university and lenders.

No, lenders disburse funds to individual schools on behalf of a student. If a student withdraws from the university or transfers to a different university the disbursed funds must be returned to the lender and the student is required to reapply for the loan through the new financial aid office.

Yes, the interest rate on federal loans is the same regardless of the school you attend. However, private loan interest rates could vary.