Special Scholarships for Entering J.D. Students

The Wildman/Schumacher Scholarship is Southwestern’s most generous scholarship program, providing funds toward tuition that can be renewed for each year of a student’s program. Awards can be as high as full tuition for the duration of the normal length of a student’s program.

Initial Eligibility

The Wildman/Schumacher Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship awarded only to entering first-year J.D. students. Awards and scholarship amounts are based on undergraduate grades, LSAT score(s), letters of recommendation, and other factors the scholarship committee may wish to consider. For detailed information about eligibility please review the Wildman/Schumacher Eligibility PDF (in sidebar).

Annual Renewal

Wildman/Schumacher Scholarships are renewable scholarships, meaning that the scholarship recipient is able to receive a set annual award upon meeting the renewal criteria each year. Full renewal criteria, examples, and details based on class year can be found in the Wildman/Schumacher Eligibility PDFs on the sidebar of this page.

This chart details the renewal rates for the three most recent classes as they moved on to their second year. Note that for these classes, the Wildman/Schumacher Scholarship renewed on a minimum 3.000 cumulative GPA. For students beginning their first year of law school in Fall 2024, the scholarship will renew on a minimum 2.900 law school GPA.

The Southwestern Admissions Scholarship provides funds toward tuition for a student’s first academic year at Southwestern. The award is not renewable for subsequent years. The Southwestern Admissions Scholarship can range in amount from a few thousand dollars to full tuition for the first year of a student’s program.

Eligibility

The Southwestern Admissions Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship awarded only to entering first-year J.D. students. Awards and scholarship amounts are based on undergraduate grades, LSAT score(s), letters of recommendation, and other factors the scholarship committee may wish to consider.

The Southwestern Admissions Scholarship for First-Generation Law Students is available to entering students who are the first in their family to attend post-secondary education and is meant to recognize the significant achievement of these students and the particular obstacles they have overcome to reach the goal of entering law school. This scholarship provides funds toward tuition for a student’s first academic year at Southwestern. The award is not renewable for subsequent years.

Eligibility

The Southwestern Admissions Scholarship for First-Generation Law Students is a merit-based scholarship awarded only to entering first-year J.D. students who are the first in their family to attend postsecondary education. Awards and scholarship amounts are based on undergraduate grades, LSAT score(s), letters of recommendation, and other factors the scholarship committee may wish to consider.

The Dean Arthur J. Abbott Housing Scholarship is available to entering students choosing to live in Southwestern’s on-campus student apartments, The Residences at 7^th. The scholarship provides partial funds toward rental rates at The Residences and is awarded for a student’s first academic year only, meaning it is not renewable for subsequent years.

NOTE ON INCOME TAXATION OF HOUSING SCHOLARSHIPS: Recipients are advised that housing scholarships constitute taxable income for federal and state income tax purposes.

Eligibility

The Dean Arthur J. Abbott Housing Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship awarded only to entering first-year J.D. students. Awarding is based on undergraduate grades, LSAT score(s), letters of recommendation, and other factors the scholarship committee may wish to consider. The recipient must also choose to lease an apartment at Southwestern’s on-campus student apartments, The Residences at 7^th, and meet all criteria for on-campus housing, including completing the application, paying the application fee, posting the security deposit for damage to the apartment, and meeting credit criteria for rent not covered by the scholarship.

The First-Year Book Scholarship provides funds to cover the cost of required books and other required printed materials during the first year of a student’s academic program at Southwestern.

The award is not renewable for subsequent years. The exact value of the First-Year Book Scholarship depends upon the cost of required printed materials, which varies by year and depends on prices set by publishers, printers, booksellers, and the titles selected by a student’s particular professors. However, estimated values are as follows:

Eligibility

The First-Year Book Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship awarded only to entering first-year J.D. students. Awarding is based on undergraduate grades, LSAT score(s), letters of recommendation, and other factors the scholarship committee may wish to consider.

Redemption Terms

The First-Year Book Scholarship may only be redeemed through the Southwestern Law School Bookstore. As each academic year approaches, Southwestern's Financial Aid Office will provide a list of First-Year Book Scholarship recipients to the bookstore. Once the bookstore has the required books and printed materials in stock, and has received the list of recipients from the Financial Aid Office, recipients may then arrange to redeem their scholarship for their books and materials. Recipients cannot be reimbursed for books or materials purchased outside the Southwestern Law School Bookstore. In the event a recipient chooses not to attend Southwestern after receiving their books or materials, the books or materials must be returned.

Southwestern awards a select number of scholarships for students who transfer into the J.D. program.  Criteria include strong performance at their prior law school, strong undergraduate grade point average and Law School Admission Test scores, leadership potential and other outstanding personal accomplishments, and other factors. Awards are renewable for students who meet the continuing academic performance requirements.

Based upon a review of the information submitted in their admissions application files, all admitted transfer J.D. applicants are considered for Academic Achievement Scholarships. Admitted applicants do not need to submit a separate application for Academic Achievement Scholarship consideration. For detailed information about eligibility and renewal terms, please review the Academic Achievement Scholarship Eligibility PDF (in sidebar).

The Southwestern Change-Maker Scholarship provides funds toward tuition that can be renewed for each year of a student’s program. Awards can be as high as full tuition for the duration of the normal length of a student’s program.

Initial Eligibility

The Southwestern Change-Maker Scholarship is a merit-based award granted only to entering first-year J.D. students. Awarding decisions are based on undergraduate grades, LSAT score(s), letters of recommendation, and other factors the scholarship committee may wish to consider. For detailed information about eligibility please review the Southwestern Change-Maker Eligibility PDF (in the sidebar).  

Annual Renewal

The Southwestern Change-Maker Scholarship is a renewable scholarship, meaning that the scholarship recipient is able to receive a set annual award upon meeting the renewal criteria each year. Currently, the primary renewal criterion for entering students is to maintain a minimum 2.330 law school GPA following their first academic year.  Full renewal criteria, examples, and details can be found in the Southwestern Change-Maker Eligibility PDF (in the sidebar).