Law Scholarships

Feb 09, 2018

Written By Jos Weale, Managing Editor, All About Law

As university fees continue to rocket, any extra cash that can help stump up for the costs for an undergraduate law degree will always do nicely. University law scholarships are one way of supporting you financially in your legal studies, and they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes…

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Scholarships and bursaries for law

Law schools and university law departments offer a varying number of scholarships, bursaries, prizes and awards for their law students. They are usually funded either by the university itself or benefactors.

The majority of these will offer a contribution to fees, with a small number even covering the full amount. Some prizes will allow you to use the money in whichever way suits you best – whether that be towards your fees, maintenance costs, travel or study materials (those books won’t come cheap either!)

So how do you get your hands on one?

Law scholarships for high achievers and those in need

Universities are always keen to bag the best applicants for their courses, and therefore there will more often than not be a selection of scholarships or awards awarded to applicants with exceptional exam results and academic credentials. Why not make your brains pay up for you?

Other scholarships, or bursaries, are geared towards prospective students in great financial need, or, for example, applicants with a disability income assessment. Any applications based on financial need are generally handled and assessed as an individual case.

Law scholarship eligibility criteria

Unfortunately you’re not going to be eligible to apply for every scholarship under the sun. Here are a few points to consider when it comes to the eligibility criteria:

Some awards are specific to certain courses.
If you are a recipient of scholarships from other funding bodies it could mean you won’t be eligible for the university scholarships.
Some scholarships are for international students only.
Some scholarships with tenure of more than one year may require you to maintain a specific overall average in your grades in order to receive the scholarship in your next year.

Again, the eligibility criteria will differ depending on the award and institution. If you’d like any further information on the eligibility criteria for their scholarships you can contact them directly.

When to apply for a university law scholarship

It will be no shock to the system to hear there is a lot of competition for these scholarships, and the number available is always limited. It’s a very good idea to make sure you’re aware of the deadlines for the awards you want to go for – and double check you are applying for the right year!

In many circumstances you’ll need to have either a conditional or confirmed offer from the prospective university before you apply for their scholarships. If you’re not sure of this or have any queries regarding deferred entry and scholarships, then it’s best to give the university’s law department a quick ring to clear up any confusion.

Awards during your degree

Those who have already started their course won’t necessarily be left out of the scholarship party. There will usually be essay prizes to have a crack at, as well as awards for academic performance whilst you’re at university. Some institutions also offering the subsequent LPC course for aspiring solicitors run a ‘loyalty rewards’ programme – discounted fees for that institution’s LPC if they chose to stay.

Scholarships mean more than just money

A law scholarship isn’t just a welcome cash injection to support your studies. Scholarships awarded for merit carry prestige – something that lasts long after the cash has been spent!

A juicy award or two will beef up your applications for future funding, such as for Inns of Court scholarships, and will really strengthen your academic profile for those notorious, all-important training contracts.

Take an essay prize as an example: With one of these to your belt you’ll boost your image as a proactive individual, recognised as someone with excellent written skills who can present a strong argument, research and evaluate evidence effectively – all prime attributes of a great lawyer in the making.

See what we mean? Naturally you’ll have to do more than this to ensure you’re successful, but every little helps in building up the image of the perfect candidate.

University Funding