Dannnye K. Holley, Dean and Professor of Law

Financial Aid Resources

Eligibility for Financial Aid
Law students interested in applying for financial aid should meet the following criteria:

Be a citizen, or an eligible non-citizen of the United States.
Be enrolled in a degree-seeking program.
Have a valid Social Security Number.
Be registered with the Selective Service System, if required.
Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Not owe a refund on a federal student grant or be in default on a federal student loan.
Not have a conviction for the possession or sale of illegal drugs for an offense that occurred while you were receiving federal student aid (such as grants, work-study, or loans).
Be enrolled in at least 6 hours

How To Apply For Financial Aid
The Office of Student Financial Assistance is here to help you invest in your future. It's a good idea to apply for financial aid at the same time that you apply for admission to TMSL. Although we won't review your financial aid information until after your admissions application is filed, been accepted in to the TMSL law program and seat deposit paid in full, you can still apply for financial aid before you have been admitted to TMSL.

To apply for federal aid you must:

Make sure you meet federal eligibility requirements to receive financial aid.
Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.studentaid.gov each year. You may apply as early as Oct 1st using previous year tax data from 2 years prior (for example, the 2023-2024 application will use 2021 tax information). Improvements to the FAFSA application process now allow for direct data download from your IRS return. More information on how to utilize the IRS data retrieval tool may be found on the FSA website.
List Texas Southern on your FAFSA application using our school code, 003642.
After your FAFSA has been received, you may be sent an email request for additional information. Once admitted and seat deposit paid in full you will be sent information to login to your MyTSU account to view the requirements and the requested forms.
When all outstanding requirements have been satisfied and your FAFSA has been processed, you will receive an email notification that your aid offer is ready to accept.
Accept your financial aid award through MyTSU.

Financial Aid Forms (click here)

Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program - 6.54 %
Direct Graduate PLUS loan - 7.54%

Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program

The Direct Unsubsidized Loan is not based on financial need. Interest will accrue from the time the loan is disbursed until it is paid in full. Interest accumulated while in school or during other periods of nonpayment is capitalized (added to the principal amount of the loan), unless a student opts to make interest payments while in school. Students may borrow up to $20,500 less any amount borrowed through the Direct Subsidized Loan Program during an academic year (up to an aggregate of $138,500 combined Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans). The interest rate is fixed at 5.28 %.

Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

The Direct Graduate PLUS loan allows you, not your parents, to borrow up to the cost of attendance less any other financial aid you receive. It has a fixed interest rate (6.28%) and no aggregate limits; has the same deferment, forbearance, and death and disability provisions as Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans. The Graduate PLUS loan is also eligible for federal consolidation. Credit checks are required to be eligible for this loan, but the credit criteria are less stringent than with most private student loans.

Bar Study Loans- are private student loans specifically intended for law school graduates who are preparing for the bar exam. These are offered only by private lenders—the Department of Education doesn’t provide any federal student loans for graduates who need time to study for the bar.

Bar Study Loan Options
Ready to apply for a bar exam loan? If you’re in need but don’t know where to start, there are a few companies you can look into that are reputable.
Discover bar study loan Bar Exam Prep Loans for Law Students | Discover Student Loans
With this loan, you can take out between $1,000 and $16,000 in bar loan funds. The repayment terms state that the loan must be paid off within 20 years. In order to be eligible for this loan, you must be enrolled half-time at an eligible school.

Sallie Mae bar study loan Bar Study Loans | Sallie Mae
With this loan, you can take out between $1,000 and $15,000 in bar loan funds. The repayment terms state that the loan must be paid off within 15 years. In order to be eligible for this loan, you must be a US citizen and attend an eligible law school.
PNC bar study loan Bar Study Loan: Bar Exam Loans for Law Students (pnc.com)
With this loan, you can take out between $1,000 and $15,000 in bar loan funds. The repayment terms state that the loan must be paid off within 15 years. To be eligible for this loan, you must have graduated from a law school within six months of applying for the loan or expected to graduate within six months.

Credit Reporting Agencies:

Equifax
800.685.1111
www.equifax.com

Experian
888.397.3742
www.experian.com

Trans Union Credit Corp.
800.888.4213

Web Resources

www.studentaid.gov	The new look for Federal Student Aid (FSA) – StudentAid.gov, the official federal student aid website. This website combines content and features from StudentLoans.gov, FAFSA.gov, fsaid.ed.gov, and nslds.ed.gov to enhance your experience.
www.studentaid.gov	FAFSA, FSAID, Federal Direct Loans, Online Entrance & Exit Counseling
www.finaid.org	FinAid may be the most comprehensive annotated collection of information about student financial aid on the Web.
www.collegeboard.org	General information on colleges, and college costs
Ombudsman	U.S Department of Education, FSA Ombudsman 830 First Street, NE, Fourth Floor Washington, DC 20202-5144 T: 877 557-2575
www.sss.gov	Selective Service System
www.irs.gov	Internal Revenue Services, resource of information regarding obtaining tax transcripts and educational tax benefits.