Financial Aid

The availability of federal student financial aid can be a major consideration in planning your educational future, so it is important that you clearly understand how to apply for federal financial aid and your responsibilities during the process.

All financial aid is processed centrally by the University of Louisville’s Student Financial Aid Office. Neither the Office of Admissions nor any other personnel at Brandeis Law has access to federal student loan information. For more detailed information on financial aid processing, packaging and disbursement, please contact SFAO at (502) 852-5511 or finaid@louisville.edu.

Completing the FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an application you must complete annually in order to qualify for financial education assistance from the government and deferred repayment of such assistance while you remain enrolled. The FAFSA typically opens on October 1 each year, though changes to federal student loans delayed the 2023-2024 FAFSA substantially.

To file your FAFSA and start the financial aid process, follow the steps below. For more detailed information, please review the SFAO Applying for Aid webpages.

The University of Louisville’s FAFSA school code is 001999.

  1. Assemble your tax information, including your W-2 and 1040 tax forms.
  2. Create an FSA ID if you do not already have one. Your FSA ID will be used to electronically sign your FAFSA.
  3. Visit the FAFSA website to complete your FAFSA. If eligible, you may import your tax data into your FAFSA by using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. 
  4. Once your FAFSA has been processed, you will be sent a Student Aid Report (SAR), either by email (if you filed electronically and provided an email address) or else by post. Review the SAR, and if you find any errors, you can make corrections to your FAFSA online or return the paper SAR with corrections.
  5. Remember that you will need to complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and entrance counseling for each the Direct Unsubsidized Loan and the Direct PLUS Loan before they will be disbursed.

Student Loans

Eligible students may borrow up to a total of $20,500 per year from the federal government in Direct Unsubsidized Loans, previously known as Stafford Loans. You may be familiar with Direct Subsidized Loans from your time as an undergraduate student, but for graduate students the loans are unsubsidized, meaning that the interest that accrues while the borrower is in school and while the loans are in deferment is the responsibility of the borrower, not of the government. You do not have to demonstrate financial need to qualify for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan.

Students may also be eligible to borrow up to the cost of attendance (less any other financial assistance, including Direct Loans) in Direct PLUS Loans, also known as Grad PLUS Loans. A credit check is required, and loans may not be available to students with adverse credit histories. Direct PLUS Loans are automatically awarded to law students who pass the credit check. Because of the historically favorable interest rates and terms, many students who have good credit opt for Direct PLUS Loans over private loans, but you should do your due diligence in determining a lending plan that is right for you.

For both Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Direct PLUS Loans, repayment is not required until six months after graduating, leaving school or dropping below half-time enrollment. However, interest starts accruing as soon as the funds are disbursed and continues to accrue throughout the student’s enrollment and the six-month grace period, with unpaid interest added to the loan balance. Interest rates reset for new federal student loans on July 1 each year and are fixed for the life of the loan. Bear in mind that origination fees will be charged for all federal student loans.

Financial Aid Disbursement 

Most financial aid awards are disbursed to student accounts at the beginning of each semester or upon gaining eligibility during a semester of enrollment. Disbursement of awards is based on compliance with all eligibility requirements, including enrollment status and satisfactory academic progress. Since most awards are based on full-time enrollment, part-time students must complete an enrollment adjustment form prior to the start of classes in order for aid to disburse at the beginning of the term. Enrollment status is established as of the day after the last day to drop and receive a 100% tuition credit, and courses for which a student is on a standby list are not included in the student’s enrolled hours.

Disbursed financial aid that exceeds the balance owed to the University is considered excess. Excess financial aid will be delivered to you in accordance with the University’s refund delivery process. For more information on how to establish your preferred refund method, please refer to the University Bursar’s website.