Financing Your Education

Estimated Costs for 2007-2008

The following table shows the estimated costs for full-time and part-time students at George Mason for the 2007-2008 academic year. These estimates are used in determining financial aid packages for law students. As estimates, these figures may vary slightly from the actual costs. Note that these figures are subject to change at any time.

Note: most questions about in-state classification can be answered through Domicile Administration, which is found within the office of the GMU Registrar. This office reviews applications to reclassify an out-of-state student to in-state status, they handle most procedural questions and they provide other services associated with student status classification for tuition purposes.

Financial Aid

George Mason University's Office of Student Financial Aid, located at the Fairfax Campus, provides a variety of services to assist students in financing their education. George Mason University participates in the Federal Direct Loan Program.

Students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year as soon as possible after January 1. To receive priority consideration for available, applicable funds, the FAFSA must be received by the federal processor on or before March 1. Types of financial aid available include Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, privately sponsored education loans, and Federal Work-Study.

Students who have questions may call the Direct On-Line Aid Resource System (DOLARS) at (703) 993-4GMU, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid on the Internet (apollo.gmu.edu/finaid), or schedule an appointment to meet with a financial aid counselor. The financial aid office also schedules monthly on-site visits at the Arlington Campus.

Mason's Title IV school code is 003749. Students may call the financial aid office at (703) 993-2353, e-mail finaid@gmu.edu, or write to:

Office of Student Financial Aid, MS 3B5
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030-4444

Scholarship and Fellowship Programs

The law school continually seeks to develop new sources of non-loan funds to help defray the cost of legal education. A number of fellowships and scholarships are available to incoming law students.

Please note:  scholarship and fellowship awards will not be posted to student accounts and will not appear on Patriot Web until late July or early August.

George Mason Scholarship Programs:

The Professor Richard S. Murphy Scholarship

is awarded each year to an incoming first year student based on merit. No application is necessary. This scholarship is a lasting memorial to Professor Murphy, who served on the School of Law faculty from 1994 until his death in 1997. Professor Murphy was a brilliant and energetic scholar, a gifted professor, and a beloved friend and colleague.

Senator Leroy S. Bendheim Scholarship

Named after the Virginia senator who bequeathed the funds for this award, the scholarship is given to one or more outstanding applicants, with preference given to applicants who have excelled in the study of economics or finance. No application is necessary.

The Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox Intellectual Property Law Scholarship

For the second consecutive year, the Washington, D.C., law firm of Sterne Kessler, Goldstein & Fox, P.L.L.C., is funding an intellectual property law scholarship. An entering first-year law student in the Intellectual Property Law Track will be awarded a scholarship in an amount ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 to help cover expenses during the first year of study.

Ann Southard Murphy and Cornelius F. Murphy Jr. Tuition Assistance Award

This award was established in 1999 by Betty Southard Murphy, a former George Mason University Trustee, and her husband, Dr. Cornelius Francis Murphy, and is given to a student who is a good citizen of the law school and who is expected to be a good alumnus or alumnae. Mrs. Murphy has also established two book awards, the Betty Southard Murphy Award in Constitutional Law and the Betty Southard Murphy Award in Labor Law.

The Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C. Scholarship

The Oblon, Spivak firm, a national intellectual property law firm located in Alexandria, Virginia, has established this scholarship to assist one or more outstanding intellectual property law students each year.

The Smolen Plevy Scholarship

Founded by 1977 graduates Jason Smolen and Alan Plevy, the law firm Smolen Plevy provides representation and counsel to businesses, families, and individuals. Smolen Plevy has endowed a scholarship that will be used to help defray the out-of-state tuition expense for one or more entering first-year students coming to George Mason from outside Virginia.

Mary Fisher Doyle Public Service Scholarship

In memory of administrative appeals judge Mary Fischer Doyle, the George Mason University School of Law, with the collaboration of alumnus Robert Doyle, J.D., '88, has established this scholarship fund out of which awards will be made to one or more evening students who work for state, local, or federal agencies.

The Dean Engle Memorial Scholarship

is awarded to a current student in high academic standing who also demonstrates dedication to the law school and the practice of law. This scholarship memorializes former George Mason School of Law Professor and Associate Dean Charles Engle, who served with great distinction for three decades. Dean Engle was highly regarded as an outstanding professor of civil procedure and Virginia practice. He also was instrumental in advancing the reputation of the school by imposing and supporting strict academic standards and actively promoting our young law school in the Washington, D.C., area legal community.

The George Mason University School of Law Alumni Association Scholarship

is awarded to a current student who exhibits dedication to advancing the George Mason law community through organizational participation and leadership. The Alumni Association recognizes that the key to a strong law school is the support and connection between the alumni and the students.

George Mason Law School Community Scholarship Award.

This scholarship, funded by current students, alumni, faculty, and staff of the George Mason law school community, is awarded to an entering first-year student who has demonstrated a commitment to public service.

The Banner & Witcoff Intellectual Property Law Scholarship.

Banner & Witcoff, Ltd., an intellectual property law firm with offices in Washington, Boston, Chicago, and Portland, Oregon, has established a scholarship in the amount of $5,000 to be awarded to an outstanding intellectual property law student.

Fellowship Programs:

The Robert A. Levy Fellowships in Law & Liberty

were created through the generosity of Dr. Robert A. Levy, a 1994 graduate of the law school. Through this generous fellowship program, Dr. Levy seeks to encourage young scholars to enter the academic field of law and economics by sponsoring their pursuit of a JD degree. Fellowship grants cover tuition and fees and provide a substantial stipend for up to three years. To be eligible for a Levy Fellowship, an applicant must either (1) have earned a PhD from an accredited university in economics, or a closely related field such as finance or political science; or (2) have successfully completed all course work in one of the above fields and have passed the general exam for a PhD from an accredited university.

School of Law Fellowships

A small number of fellowship grants are awarded to outstanding incoming law students each year based upon the strength of their applications for admission.

Community Scholarship Programs:

A number of outside organizations, including local bar and community associations, law firms, and other groups sponsor scholarship programs for law students. Many of these scholarships are targeted at women and minorities. As we become aware of these programs, we will post the information under Community Scholarship Resources .

Questions concerning these fellowships and additional sources of scholarship funding should be directed to the Office of Admissions.