Tuition & Fees

Financial Aid

Golden Gate University School of Law offers a full range of programs to help students fund their education. Funding can be met with a combination of scholarships, federal work study, federal loans (Stafford, PLUS and Perkins) and private loans.

Scholarships

Golden Gate Law awards merit scholarships at the time of admission. If you did not receive a scholarship as an entering student, you may be evaluated for a continuing student merit scholarship after you complete your full first year of school.

Veteran's Benefits

All Golden Gate Law degrees are approved educational programs for Veterans Affairs educational assistance benefits. The combination of a VA tuition benefits (sent to the school) and Golden Gate Law merit scholarships are applied toward tuition and may not exceed the total cost of tuition. Veterans should contact our VA Certifying Officer, Jessica Longhurst, as soon as possible after admission to initiate the certification of your enrollment to the Veterans Administration. Jessica may be reached at (415) 442-6635 or via email at jlonghurst@ggu.edu.

The University is proud to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a provision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Under the Yellow Ribbon Program, the law school will award a grant up to 50% of unmet tuition costs, not to exceed $7,200 per semester, to eligible Yellow Ribbon Program veterans. The Veterans Administration will match the other 50%.

Please note the VA may change eligibility criteria at any time and thus benefits are subject to change. We encourage students to visit www.gibill.va.gov for up to date benefit information.

Federal Aid

In order to be eligible for federal student aid, a student must:

• Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.ed.gov;
• Be admitted and/or enrolled in the School of Law (on at least a half-time basis);
• Be a US citizen or permanent resident or have an eligible alien status;
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress;
• Have registered with the selective service, if required by federal law; and
• Not be in default on any Title IV loan or owe a refund on any Title IV grant.

If selected for verification by the Department of Education, students may be asked to submit additional information to our office. The School of Law Financial Aid Office (FAO) will notify students if any additional documentation is needed. No separate financial aid application is required for JD students. Admitted students can expect to receive an official financial aid award notice approximately two weeks after their first seat deposit is received, starting in the middle of April. The FAO must have a student's FAFSA on file in order to package a student for financial aid. Our school code is 001205. LLM students must submit a separate application for financial aid.

First Time Aid Recipients at GGU

Entrance loan counseling is mandatory for all aid recipients who participate in the Federal Loan Program. All first-time aid recipients at Golden Gate Law must complete online entrance counseling prior to the certification of any aid by the FAO. To complete your online entrance counseling, please log onto www.studentloans.gov. Make sure to select the graduate/professional entrance counseling option. After you complete the entrance counseling, our office will be notified electronically.

Federal Work Study

Federal Work Study (FWS) allows students to earn income while working for a host agency as an intern or apprentice. To qualify for FWS, students must complete a FAFSA, be eligible for federal aid, have unmet financial need and have completed one full year of law school. Through this program, federal funds are used to pay a portion of the student's salary. To be awarded FWS, students must complete and submit the FWS placement form. FWS funds are limited, so all requests may not be accommodated.

Golden Gate Law offers the Public Interest Work-Study (PIWS) program which assists agencies who cannot pay their share of the student's salary. To apply for PIWS funds, students will need to check the appropriate box on the FWS placement form and obtain verification from the agency of inability to subsidize the student's salary.

Perkins Loan

The Perkins Loan is a deferred-payment, deferred-interest loan administered by the University. This loan is based on financial need and has a fixed interest rate of 5% per year. Repayment of the loan and interest accrual begin 9 months after the borrower graduates, leaves school or drops below half-time enrollment. The maximum annual loan amount for graduate students is $8,000 per academic year, and the funds must be applied toward tuition expenses. Funding is limited. Priority is given to students who meet the FAFSA priority deadline and demonstrate financial need as defined by the federal processor and the University, and have completed one full year of law school. Students who accept a Perkins Loan must complete additional loan papers in person at the FAO.

Federal Stafford Loans

Effective July 1, 2010, Stafford loans are funded by the Department of Education (DOE). There are two federal Stafford loans available for graduate students:

Subsidized Stafford Loan

The Subsidized Stafford Loan is a deferred interest, deferred payment loan. Effective July 1, 2006, graduate student Stafford loans have a fixed interest rate of 6.8%. The interest is paid by the federal government while the borrower is in school and during the grace period. Repayment of the loan begins six (6) months after the borrower graduates, leaves school, or drops below half-time enrollment. To participate in the subsidized loan program, applicants must demonstrate financial need. The annual subsidized loan limit is $8,500 for graduate students. In no case may a borrower's subsidized loan amount exceed his or her demonstrated need.

Unsubsidized Stafford Loan

Graduate students with limited or no eligibility for the Subsidized Stafford Loan may borrow through the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan program. In addition, graduate student borrowers may receive an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan to supplement their Subsidized Stafford Loan eligibility. Terms and conditions are identical to those of the Subsidized program except that interest begins to accrue at the time of disbursement. Payment of interest and principal may be deferred until after the borrower graduates, leaves school, or drops below half-time enrollment. If interest payments are deferred, they are added to the principal borrowed and increase the amount on which future interest is calculated.

Both the subsidized and unsubsidized loans have a 1% origination fee that is subtracted from the gross loan amount before disbursement. Students receive an up-front instant rebate of .5% contingent on the first 12 monthly payments being received on time when repayment begins.

Effective July 1, 2007, the combined annual loan limit for graduate student borrowers from both the Stafford Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan Programs is $20,500. The lifetime aggregate Stafford Loan limit is $138,500.

If accepting a Stafford Loan, students must log onto www.studentloans.gov to complete and sign the Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) electronically prior to the FAO certifying student loans. Please do not complete the MPN until advised to do so by the FAO.

PLUS Loans

Effective July 1, 2010, PLUS Loans are funded by the DOE. The PLUS Loan is a federal loan available to credit-worthy students in addition to the Stafford Federal Loans. The PLUS loan has a fixed 7.9% interest rate. Interest starts to accrue from the moment funds are disbursed to the school. PLUS loans have no grace period. However, at the borrower's request, repayment may be deferred in order to align with Federal Stafford Loan repayment.

A 4.0% origination fee is assessed on the amount of PLUS Loan borrowed and is subtracted from the gross loan amount before disbursement to the school. Students receive an up-front instant rebate of 1.5% contingent on the first 12 monthly payments being received on time when repayment begins.

Students who wish to borrow the PLUS loan must submit an Additional Loan Eligibility Request Form to the Law FAO. First time borrowers must also complete the PLUS loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) at www.studentloans.gov prior certification by the FAO. Please do not complete the MPN until advised to do so by the FAO.

Private Loans

Private loans are not guaranteed through the federal government and are based on an individual's credit rating. All lenders have different variable interest rates, repayment schedules and loan approval criteria. Some lenders offer interest rate reductions, principal reductions, or other borrower benefits that may reduce the cost of the loan. Interest starts to accrue from the moment funds are disbursed to the school. Most private loans have a six or nine month grace period after graduation or once enrollment falls below half-time. We recommend students read all private loan applications in their entirety before choosing or accepting a private loan.

Students who wish to borrow the private loan must submit an Additional Loan Eligibility Request Form to the Law FAO. Additionally, students will need to log onto their lender's website and complete, sign and submit a private loan Promissory Note and loan disclosure prior to certification by the FAO. Students should not initiate this process until advised by the FAO the additional loan eligibility has been determined.

Cost of Attendance

In determining a student's cost of attendance (COA)/budget, the FAO includes direct expenses (tuition and fees) and indirect expenses (room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and personal/miscellaneous expenses). A student may not receive aid above the COA. The School of Law reserves the right to adjust the rate for tuition and fees prior to the beginning of each semester. The COA is calculated for a nine month period. The breakdown is shown below:

First Year Students Fall 2011

	Fall	Spring	Total
Full Time	20,100 (14 units)	20,100 (14 units)	40,200 (30 units)
Part Time	16,080 (12 units)	14,740 (11 units)	30,820 (23 units)
Registration Fees	145	145	290
Room and Board	7425	7425	14,850
Book Allowance	700	700	1,400
Transportation	675	675	1,350
Health Insurance	821	820	1,641
Personal/miscellaneous	2700	2700	5,400
Total COA Full Time	32,566	32,565	65,131
Total COA Part Time	28,546	27,205	55,751

Continuing Students Fall 2011

	Fall	Spring	Total
Full Time	18,760 (14 units)	18,760(14 units)	37,520 (28 units)
Part Time	12,060 (9 units)	12,060 (9 units)	24,120 (18 units)
Registration Fees	145	145	290
Room and Board	7425	7425	14,850
Book Allowance	700	700	1,400
Transportation	675	675	1,350
Health Insurance	821	820	1,641
Personal/miscellaneous	2700	2700	5,400
Total COA Full Time	31,226	31,225	62,451
Total COA Part Time	24,526	24,525	49,051

Budgeting

When determining how much to borrow, students will need to complete a budget worksheet. Students should compare their expenses against their financial resources. Identify (non-loan) financial resources. These may include savings and/or gifts from family, scholarships and summer employment (after the first year of school). Students should be conservative when evaluating their financial needs while in school, especially if relying on loans to meet those needs.

We strongly encourage all students to check their credit reports. A free credit report may be obtained annually from each credit reporting agency at www.annualcreditreport.com. Checking credit reports prior to applying for student loans will allow students to correct any discrepancies or delinquencies ahead of time.