Admission, Expenses and Financial Aid

Admission

Statement on Admission:

W&L Law seeks to admit a qualified and diverse student body. The Admissions Committee aims to admit applicants who demonstrate the ability for success in law school. Each completed application is reviewed holistically. A myriad of factors beyond academic credentials and LSAT or GRE scores are considered as part of this holistic review. Other factors that are considered include, but are not limited to, the applicant’s demonstrated writing ability, letters of recommendation, employment experience, service, academic rigor, demonstrated work ethic, relevant skills, contribution to a diverse educational environment, and character.

Applying for Admissions:

Students may apply to W&L Law through the Binding Early Decision Program or through the Regular Decision option. Regular Decision application instructions are available at https://law.wlu.edu/admissions/applying-for-admission/jd-application-information/jd-application-instructions, and the Binding Early Decision Program is described in greater detail at https://law.wlu.edu/admissions/applying-for-admission/early-decision.

The application for admission to Washington and Lee University School of Law is available via LSAC.org

Applicants are strongly encouraged to review our application instructions before beginning the application process. For technical assistance with the online application form available via LSAC, contact the Law School Admission Council. For all other inquiries, please contact the Office of Admissions at lawadm@wlu.edu.

Note on Bar Admission:

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Expenses

Tuition and Fees:

Tuition for the 2023-24 academic year is $26,560.00 per semester for J.D. students. Student fees, including a technology fee of $160, total approximately $715.00 per semester. In addition, first- and second-year students are required to purchase the Campus Connection Flex Dining Plan in the amount of $500 per semester. Dining is available on-campus at several locations. The Campus Connection Flex Plan is designed to provide students with a convenient means of purchasing meals at all locations on campus. Students may add more money to their plan in $25 increments. NOTE: Meal plan dollars do not carry over from the fall to the spring semester. However, any additional funds added do carry over, but must be used by the end of the academic year.

More information regarding Tuition and Fees may be found on the website https://law.wlu.edu/admissions/tuition-and-financial-aid/tuition-and-fees.

Withdrawals and Refunds:

If a student withdraws before the first day of classes of a semester, the full amount of the Comprehensive Tuition Fee then paid by or for the account of the student from private resources (as opposed to payments from federal or state or University financial aid programs, including the Guaranteed Student Loan program), will be refunded, less the advance deposit required of each new applicant or academic transfer ($1,000).
If a student leaves the University officially after a term begins and gives written notice, the refund percentages are as follows for the Comprehensive Tuition Fee.

During Week of Term	Percentage of Credit
First week	100%
Second week	80%
Third week	60%
Fourth week	40%
Fifth week	20%
After fifth week	not applicable

If no financial aid is involved (including Guaranteed Student Loans), the amount of the credit will be refunded, taking into account amounts then paid. If federal or state financial aid is involved, preference will be given to the regulations of the funding agency. Contact the Business Office in such cases to determine the amount, if any, of refund.

If a student leaves the University after five weeks of classes in a semester, either voluntarily or involuntarily, the Comprehensive Tuition Fee is not refundable.
The Technology, Health Services and Traveler’s Fees are treated in the same manner as the Comprehensive Tuition Fee in the case of withdrawal or approved leaves of absence.
The Student Activities Fee is refundable only if the student leaves the University before the first day of classes in a semester.
All refunds of the Comprehensive Tuition Fee will be subject to federal regulations regarding institutional refund policies.

The School of Law reserves the right to change any fees at any time.

Billing:

Students are notified through their W&L email that billing statements are available on the university’s online payment system Nelnet Campus Commerce, which allows students and parents/guardians to view bills and make payments online. The initial billing for the first 13-week term is released around July 15. Billing for the second 13-week term is released around November 15. It is the responsibility of the student to review the online payment system the 15th of every month for any miscellaneous charges from the previous month that might have been posted and should be paid. It is the responsibility of the student to establish parents/guardians as users on the online payment system. As users, parents/guardians and students will receive email notifications, log on to the online payment system to view bills and make payments. The University does not mail paper billing statements. Additional information is available at https://my.wlu.edu/business-office/parents-and-students/nelnet-campus-commerce.

Bill statements must be paid promptly. Each bill contains a due date, generally the 10th of the following month. Payment can be made with an electronic check or a credit/debit card on GPS. Payers are advised that payments by credit/debit card are subject to a fee that will vary, depending on the card used. No convenience fees are charged for electronic checks. Payers may also print a copy of the billing statement and mail it with a check payable to “Washington and Lee University.”

The University offers no installment payment plan of its own. Tuition plans are available for those desiring to spread the expense over the educational period. As a convenience to parents, Washington and Lee has arranged with Tuition Management Systems Inc., of Warwick, Rhode Island, which provides a plan to handle requests for deferred payments. Information about the plan may be accessed through the online payment system https://go.wlu.edu/paymentplan. Information about the plan is also available in the Financial Aid Office.

Penalties:

The University may withhold transcripts, withhold the issuance of a diploma to graduating students or drop a student from the official rolls. In addition, late-pay charges may be levied on past-due amounts and registration or matriculation denied for an upcoming academic term or year. Returning students with unpaid financial obligations will not be allowed to matriculate until all financial obligations are satisfied. If a returning student has unpaid financial obligations from a previous academic year, federal loans may not be processed until that unpaid financial obligation is satisfied. Students with records of late payments may be denied permission to enroll for subsequent terms or semesters, and may have their class schedules withheld, until they pay in full in advance for subsequent terms or semesters. Requests for transcripts from former students will not be honored until all amounts owed the University are paid.

After a student has graduated or withdrawn, any of his or her accounts that have an unpaid balance may be turned over to a collection agency. The student will be responsible for all attorneys’ fees and other reasonable costs of collection of any unpaid balances in accordance with applicable law.

Financial Aid

Educational loans and merit scholarships are the main forms of financial assistance at the School of Law. Students who wish to finance their legal education with educational loans must complete a FAFSA (W&L school code 003768) and direct that it be sent to Washington and Lee University. The University’s Office of Financial Aid will not begin work on your file until your FAFSA has been received. Washington and Lee does not require parental information on the FAFSA for law students. Loan packages are typically mailed in mid-March. Absent unique circumstances, admitted students are offered loans to meet the total cost of attendance at W&L Law. Qualification for state and federal educational loans is determined by applicable regulations and by the availability of funds.

For more detailed information regarding financial aid, please visit https://law.wlu.edu/admissions/tuition-and-financial-aid/financial-aid.

Merit Scholarships:

For first-year students, qualification for a merit scholarship is based on undergraduate academic records, standardized admissions test scores (LSAT or GRE), probability of superior scholarship in the School of Law, potential for leadership in the legal profession, and character. Scholarships are automatically renewed for the second and third year at Washington and Lee University School of Law as long as a student maintains good academic standing and a standard of behavior representative of a prospective member of the legal profession. For more detailed information regarding merit scholarships, please visit https://law.wlu.edu/admissions/tuition-and-financial-aid/merit-scholarships.

Yellow Ribbon Applicants:

Washington and Lee University participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. W&L Law applicants or current students who are awarded the VA Yellow Ribbon (YR) benefit will receive a combination of the VA YR grant and a W&L YR grant that will meet and not exceed W&L Law Tuition and Fees. Since the Yellow Ribbon benefit covers tuition and fees, participants are not eligible to receive additional W&L awards (i.e. merit scholarships). If you exhaust your benefits before completing the JD program you must notify the Office of Financial Aid.

For more detailed information regarding Veteran’s Benefits, please visit https://my.wlu.edu/financial-aid/types-of-aid/veterans-benefits.