Financing Your Legal Education

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is your application for all federal loans available to Miami Law students. Submit your FAFSA as soon as possible after it is released (December 1) so that your financial aid package is available to review as you make your decision to attend Miami Law.

When entering the school information, please select Florida under State and type Miami Law under School Name. To verify that you entered the correct school name, you will see that the Federal School Code for the Univ of Miami School of Law is E00532.

If you selected the wrong code (001536), remove it and add the correct one to expedite the awarding process.

As a graduate/professional student, you do not need to provide your parent’s financial information when filing the FAFSA. On the Student Education page under the Student Demographics section of the FAFSA, please be sure to indicate that you will be working on a graduate/professional degree in the upcoming school year.

The preferred FAFSA filing date for Miami Law is February 1, but the final deadline for each academic year varies based on your enrollment.

For more information and instructions on how to complete the FAFSA please visit studentaid.gov

The Office of Financial Assistance and Employment will send you an email notification once you have been packaged.

Your financial aid package will be posted on CaneLink. To view/accept your financial aid package, please follow the instructions outlined here. 

Please note that the Office of Financial Assistance and Employment offers you the maximum amount that you are allowed to borrow, which is determined by the University’s Cost of Attendance. The Cost of Attendance is the estimated cost to attend Miami Law for the academic year and does not include summer expenses.

Before accepting your loans, we strongly recommend that you develop a budget to determine how much you will need to cover your expenses. Please carefully consider how much money you will actually need to avoid borrowing more than you need. You do not have to accept all the loans you are offered and are encouraged not to do so, if possible, in order to minimize your debt. If you choose to borrow less loan funding than you were offered, please fill out and submit the Grad/Law Loan Revision Request Form to indicate the amount you would like to borrow, then accept your loan package on CaneLink after the revised loan amounts are reflected. You can learn more about the loan revision process here.

Your institutional scholarship should be visible as part of your aid package. If you are an incoming law student who has been awarded an instiutional scholarship, and it is not part of your aid package, please contact the Office of Admissions for assistance. If you are a current law student with an institutional scholarship, and it is not part of your aid package, please contact Lidiette Esquivel at scholarships@law.miami.edu.

If the Office of Financial Assistance and Employment has requested additional documentation to complete your financial aid package, it should be submitted via the Grad/Law Document Submission Form. Documents may include proof of citizenship, amended tax returns, and other documents required by the Office of Financial Assistance and Employment.

Once you have accepted your loans, the Office of Financial Assistance and Employment electronically submits the certified loan to the Department of Education (DOE). The DOE acknowledges the certified loan(s) and conducts a credit check for the Graduate PLUS Loan. The DOE will send you an email and a paper confirmation of the credit decision. In the event you are denied, the letter will provide the additional steps required to be approved.

Once you have decided which loans you are accepting, you must complete the documents for those loans at studentaid.gov.  You can learn more about completing these documents here. 

• Graduate Loan Entrance Counseling
• Master Promissory Note (MPN) for the Direct Unsubsidized Loan
• Master Promissory Note (MPN) for the Graduate Direct Plus loan
• Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement (recommended)

If you have been awarded any external scholarship awards, please notify the Office of Admissions via email at admissions@law.miami.edu before enrollment so that these awards will be reflected on and applied to your student account.

We recommend signing up for direct deposit, which will allow your loan refund to be deposited into your bank account. You can learn how to sign up for direct deposit here.

Federal Title IV financial aid funds, which include Direct loans, will be automatically applied to any eligible pending charges on a student’s account. Eligible charges include tuition, fees, room/board, and other qualified educational expenses.

After eligible charges have been paid, there may be an excess of federal funds. Excess funds may be used to pay other pending University charges (i.e. health insurance fees, parking fees, library fines, etc.) but students must authorize the University to do so.

To authorize the University to apply your excess federal funds to any outstanding University charges follow the instructions outlined here.

Students may choose not to authorize the use of Title IV funds for these additional expenses, however, this may lead to a balance remaining on their account, which they will then be responsible for paying.

For additional information about the Title IV authorization, please click click here.

Your tuition bill will be posted on CaneLink several weeks before classes begin. If you have accepted your loans, they should appear as anticipated aid on your bill. For more information on how to view your bill please click here. If you have additional questions about your bill please contact ‘Canes Central.

Loan disbursement occurs once the above steps are properly completed. Once the loan is disbursed, the loan funds will be applied to the charges on your student account, including any charges you have authorized the University to pay using federal loan funds (see Complete Title IV Authorization above). Any excess federal loan funds will be refunded so that you may pay for costs not charged through the University, such as housing. If all the steps have been completed in a timely fashion, students can expect their refunds within the first two weeks of school. Please plan accordingly.

The Grad/Law Loan Revision Request form is used to decrease the offered loan amount, or in some cases, to reinstate a loan that was erroneously declined. Available here.

For assistance in determining the loan amount you would like to request on the Loan Revision Form, please use the Federal Loan Revision Calculator. You may also refer to this 'Canes Central knowledge article to learn more about the loan revision process.

The COA Review Forms allow students who intend to borrow federal loans to supply documentation to determine if an increase in their total COA is warranted. If approved, the total COA and typically the Grad PLUS loan offer can be increased to cover the approved allowance. There are three types of COA Review Forms: (1) the Grad/Law UM Health Insurance COA Request Form, (2) the Grad/Law COA Review Form, and (3) the Grad/Law Tuition COA Request Form.

The Grad/Law UM Health Insurance COA Request Form specifically relates to the expense associated with enrolling in the University’s Health Insurance Plan. The premium for the University’s Health Insurance Plan is not included in the COA. Therefore, students may request a COA increase (and thus additional Grad PLUS loans) to cover this expense. Please note that health insurance premiums are billed for the entire year in the fall semester. Therefore, a fall only Graduate PLUS Loan would be offered. This form will be available here before the start of classes.

The Grad/Law COA Review Form allows students who intend to borrow federal loans to request a COA increase (and typically an additional Graduate PLUS loan) for extenuating circumstances. The circumstances are detailed on the form as follows: emergency health-related living expenses, dependent care expenses (daycare/afterschool care), computer repair or replacement (this does not include the purchase of a new computer), additional educational expenses such as additional required books and supplies that exceed the current allotment, computer software required for degree conferment, instruments required for a degree program, and required travel for educational purposes (i.e., required for degree conferment), and private health insurance. This form will be available here prior to the start of classes.

The Grad/Law Tuition COA Request Form is used when a student has added credits after initial financial aid packages have gone out.  A student can request a loan to cover this additional cost of tuition. This also applies to students who enroll beyond the 17 flat rate credits and have not been offered financial aid up to the COA. Upon review of the form, students will be offered any additional eligibility, typically in the form of the Grad PLUS Loan. This form will be available here prior to the start of classes. 

This form allows a student to submit additional documents such as proof of citizenship, amended tax returns, or other documents requested by the Office of Financial Assistance and Employment. This form is available here.

Federal student loans are made by the government through the University, with terms set by law and many benefits (such as fixed interest rates and income-driven repayment plans) not typically offered with private loans.

In contrast, private loans are made by private organizations such banks, credit unions, and state- based or state-affiliated organizations, and have terms and conditions that are set by the lender. 

Federal aid is available to pay for your Cost of Attendance, which is the estimated cost to attend the University for one academic year, not including the summer semester. It is also the maximum amount of all aid you can receive from any source (i.e., loans from federal, state, or private lenders) for the academic year (fall and spring semesters).

Loan funds should be used for items covered by the Cost of Attendance.

Using the Cost of Attendance Review Form students may request a COA increase (and typically an additional Graduate PLUS loan) for extenuating circumstances. The circumstances are detailed on the form as follows: emergency health-related living expenses, dependent care expenses (daycare/afterschool care), computer repair or replacement (this does not include the purchase of a new computer), additional educational expenses such as additional required books and supplies that exceed the current allotment, computer software required for degree conferment, instruments required for a degree program, required travel for educational purposes (i.e., required for degree conferment), and private health insurance. This form will be available here prior to the start of classes.

No, however, if a student has been informed that they have been denied the Graduate Plus loan due to an adverse credit history, they have the following options:

• Obtain an endorser who does not have an adverse credit history. An endorser is someone who agrees to repay the Graduate Plus loan if you do not repay it.
• Document to the satisfaction of the U.S. Department of Education that the information causing the adverse credit decision is incorrect or that there are extenuating circumstances relating to your adverse credit history.
• For more information, please visit studentaid.gov

Accepting your loans by mid-July will allow ample time for processing and disbursement in a timely manner.

The federal government will send your loan funds each semester to the University of Miami, and the University will apply your loan funds to the balance on your student account. Any loan funds available beyond your account balance will be issued to you as a loan refund. You may receive your loan refund by check in the mail or via direct deposit. You are encouraged to sign up for the direct deposit option on CaneLink, as this is the quickest way to receive your funds.  Loan refunds are typically issued within the first two weeks of class each semester. If you have further questions, please click here or contact 'Canes Central.

A loan origination fee is assessed by your lender (e.g., for federal loans, the federal government) to help offset the cost of processing your loan. The origination fee is assessed on each loan disbursement. For the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, the loan origination fee is 1.057%, and for the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, the loan origination fee is 4.228% for loans disbursed on or after October 1, 2020, and before October 1, 2025. The Loan Origination Fee can be calculated using the Loan Revision Calculator.

If you would like to make changes to your loan amount, you can do so by using the Grad/Law Loan Revision Request Form.  The deadline to accept your loans or make changes to your loan is approximately two weeks before the end of the enrollment period, which can be the end of the semester or the end of the year.  If you have any questions, please contact ‘Canes Central.

If you are flagged by the Department of Education and need to supplement your financial aid application with additional documents such as proof of citizenship, amended tax return, or other documents requested by the Office of Financial Assistance and Employment, you should upload these items via the Document Submission Form. You may also need to complete and submit the Original Document Affidavit with your requested documents.

Visit the Cost of Attendance webpage to view your estimated housing budget for the academic year. Note that the housing budget included in the Cost of Attendance assumes you will be living with at least one roommate. We have a Roommate Referral Program to assist you in finding a roommate. Securing a lease that begins on August 1 will give you time to get settled prior to Orientation in mid-August. Please review our Housing Guide.

No. If a student requires the University’s health insurance, the policy’s premium will be a cost over and above the Cost of Attendance. Students may request a Cost of Attendance increase (and thus additional Grad Plus loans) to cover this cost by completing the Grad/Law UMHealth Insurance COA Request form.

You must complete a new FAFSA each year. The 2025-2026 FAFSA will be available on December 1^st. If you have already completed a 2024-2025 FAFSA, you are not required to complete a new FAFSA for the summer.

You may qualify for federal loans to pay for summer classes if you enroll at least half/part-time. For law school, half/part-time in the summer is considered a minimum of three credits. You will not receive a financial aid package for the summer until (a) you have registered for the summer semester for at least half/part-time and (b) have received a summer bill. If you have already received federal loans during the academic year, you need not submit a separate or renewal FAFSA to obtain loans for the summer. Since most law students exhaust their maximum eligibility for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans during the academic year ($20,500), the initial summer aid package will only offer you a Graduate Plus Loan. If you did not borrow $20,500 in the preceding academic year, you may fill out a Loan Revision Form to change the amount and type of loan to include the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans. Keep in mind the annual $20,500 cap and the cost of your summer classes. For more information about financial aid for summer classes, please click here.

The scholarship retention policy may be found here.

For students borrowing federal loans, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program helps make it financially feasible to go into a career in public service. There are also fellowships available through the HOPE Public Interest Resource Center. For additional information on both programs, please click here.

Yes. Miami Law has partnered with BARBRI, the largest bar preparation company in the United States, to create the Miami Pass Program. This program will provide you with a bar preparation course discount and additional study resources during law school. The cost of this course is included as part of your mandatory student fees throughout your time at Miami Law.

As a 3L student, your Cost of Attendance will include a one-time licensure allotment of $600 in the fall semester and $600 in the spring semester to help you cover bar application fees.

Finally, you may be eligible for a private bar study loan to assist with your living expenses while studying for the bar.