Cheap Law Schools in New York
Individuals with dreams of attending law school may worry about the financial costs. Prospective applicants can search for New York law schools on the Law School Admission Council's official guide at lsac.org and sort the results according to financial data. While most law schools require annual tuition around $39,000 to $45,000 as of 2011, two New York schools offer significantly cheaper rates. Aspiring lawyers can also reduce law school expenses by attending part-time while employed or by earning scholarships.
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City University of New York School of Law
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The LSAC reports the City University of New York School of Law, located in Flushing, NY, as the New York law school with the lowest overall tuition costs. As of 2011, LSAC identifies the school's tuition for qualified residents at $10,612 per year and for non-residents at $16,512. The law school prides itself on low costs and a diverse student body. Approximately 63 percent of students are women, while 31 percent identify themselves as members of minority groups.
University at Buffalo Law School
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As the University at Buffalo Law School, The State University of New York (SUNY) serves as the only public law school for the state of New York where state residents enjoy cheaper tuition rates. The state subsidizes tuition costs to encourage attendance by all qualified residents. In 2011, the school's full-time annual tuition for New York state residents is $17,577 and for non-residents $25,827. In addition to lower tuition costs, the school also seeks to reduce financial strain by awarding Dean's tuition waivers and scholarships. Students of the school may also apply for alumni-sponsored scholarship opportunities.
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Part-Time Programs
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Law students may be able to reduce their financial costs if they attend part-time programs. Some part-time programs may simply spread the total cost of a law degree over a greater number of years, which does not result in a cheaper degree. However, part-time law students may be able to attend school while also working in New York state. Employed students with significant or full-time income may be able to reduce their dependence on student loans. Among New York law schools, most offer part-time options, but the University at Buffalo Law School, Cornell, Columbia and New York Universities do not.
Scholarship Availability
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Besides seeking law schools with cheaper tuition rates, aspiring lawyers can also reduce their tuition costs through scholarships. The LSAC guide includes information from each law school regarding the percentage of students who receive scholarships from each school. For LSAC-listed law schools located in New York, every school awards at least some scholarships to full-time students, but the exact numbers vary. For example, Brooklyn Law School recently reported that 26.5 percent of full-time students receive half to full scholarship awards. Cornell Law School, however, reported that only10.2 percent of full-time students receive similar scholarships. Some New York law schools, but not all, award tuition scholarships to part-time students. Interested applicants should contact each school for specific information regarding scholarship types, application criteria and participation rates.
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