Most students who go back to school to earn a master’s degree in legal studies are already working in an industry that intersects readily with the world of law. If this is the case, your employer likely offers tuition assistance or reimbursement programs, encouraging employers to get educated in this field so they are better prepared to deal with legal-related challenges in the workplace. This is not always the case, however. If you want to earn a masters in legal studies, but your employer does not offer help with tuition, you can still go to school for little to no out of pocket expense by checking out what kinds of grants and scholarships are available for students. Both grants and scholarships are essentially free money for college, as they do not have to be repaid, making them a more attractive option than student loans.
Legal Studies Grants
Grants are given to students who demonstrate financial need, though many grant programs also have other requirements for applicants as well. Colleges often offer grants directly to students, but you can also find grants for legal studies programs from outside organizations and government departments. Grants can be used to pay for tuition or, in some cases, to fund a specific research project that you hope to complete while in school.
Legal Studies Scholarships
Unlike grants, students who apply for scholarships typically do not get selected based on financial need, though this might be a part of your application. Scholarships are instead given based on merit, so if you’re a promising student, you can attend school without worrying about how to pay for the courses. At the graduate degree level, fellowships are more common than scholarships, though in many cases, these are the same types of funds – fellowships just come attached to additional teaching or research assistant responsibilities in some cases. Scholarships are like grants in that they are often offered directly from schools, but you can also get them from the Department of Justice, the Association for Women in Science, the Department of Education, an a number of other outside organizations, groups, companies, and government departments.