Linda Mihely, Assistant Dean of Admission & Financial Aid
Pratricia Fitzpatrick, Financial Aid Specialist

Financial Aid Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 6:00 pm
Phone: (614) 236-6350
Fax: (614) 236-6972
Email: financialaid@law.capital.edu 

Tuition at Capital University Law School is assessed on a strict per credit hour basis. The tuition rate for the 2011-2012 academic year for all of our Graduate Programs is $1,127 per credit hour.

To apply for federal financial aid, students in all programs of study at Capital University Law School should begin by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Capital University Law School requires that students complete this form online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. You will need to have your 2010 federal tax forms on hand when filing the FAFSA because you will be required to provide specific information about your household income.

The FAFSA will ask you to provide the federal code for the institutions to which you would like your FAFSA information sent. The federal code for Capital University is 003023. There is not a unique code or branch ID associated with the law school campus. Please use the 003023 federal code for all programs offered through Capital University Law School.

Once you have filed the FAFSA, your information will be processed by the Department of Education. Once Capital University Law School receives your FAFSA information from the Department of Education, we will prepare a Financial Aid Award packet for you. The process will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks (depending on the time of year that you file the FAFSA). The Financial Aid Office recommends that students file the FAFSA as early as possible to allow plenty of time for processing before classes are scheduled to begin.

The Financial Aid Award packet will detail all financial aid programs for which you qualify. There may be additional steps required to obtain certain types of aid, so please carefully review all information included with the packet and contact the Financial Aid Office with questions.

Students are required to reapply for financial aid every year. The Financial Aid Office will send out reminders to students throughout the academic year to announce important dates and deadlines.

Financial Aid Programs:

Federal Stafford Loan Program  

The Federal Stafford Loan Program provides low-interest loans to students to assist with educational expenses. The Stafford Loan Program is federally guaranteed, which means a borrower does not need to pass a credit check to obtain funding through this program. There are three (3) minimum criteria that a student must meet to receive the Stafford Loan:

• The borrower must be a United States citizen or national, or an eligible non-citizen. The borrower must not be in a current "default" status on a previous federal educational loan. The borrower must not have exceeded the aggregate Federal Stafford Loan limit ($138,500).

If you meet these minimum criteria, you are eligible to borrow through the Stafford Loan Program. The maximum amount that a student may receive in the Stafford Loan Program is $20,500 per academic year. Your Financial Aid Award will indicate specifically the amount that you are eligible to borrow. There are two types of Federal Stafford Loans, subsidized and unsubsidized.

Federal Subsidized Stafford Loans  

The Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan is awarded to students who demonstrate financial need based on the information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Federal Subsidized Stafford Loans do not begin accruing interest until 6 months after a student either graduates or withdraws from the program of study. The maximum amount that a student can receive in subsidized loan eligibility is $8,500 per academic year.

Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loans  

The Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan is awarded to students who may not be eligible for all or part of the subsidized loan. Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loans will begin to accrue interest once disbursed; however, the student is not required to make payments on the loan (principle or interest) until he or she either graduates or withdraws from the program of study. The interest rates on the Federal Stafford Loans are determined by the federal government and are the same for all students. The maximum amount that a student can receive in unsubsidized loan eligibility is $20,500 (minus any subsidized loan received).

Graduate PLUS Loan Program  

Graduate and professional students are eligible to request loan funds through the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan Program. This program is designed to supplement a student’s Federal Stafford Loan to cover the student’s full educational expenses. The Federal Graduate PLUS Loan Program is beneficial because it reduces a student’s dependence on private loan programs. Although the borrower does have to pass a credit check to qualify for the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan, the approval criteria are far less strict when compared to a private educational loan. The interest rate on the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan is fixed at 8.5% for all qualifying borrowers.