The Law Financial Aid (LFA) Office oversees financial aid processing for all Law School students, as well as oversees Law School-funded programs for public interest alumni. LFA determines financial aid eligibility and packages, determines the cost of attendance, processes and disburses student loans, manages entrance and exit loan counseling for federal loans, and certifies private/alternative loan certification requests. LFA also provides financial assistance to students and alumni who choose to work in public interest or government with our student Summer Public Interest Funding Program and the alumni Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP).

The University of Chicago Bursar’s Office is a related office outside of the Law School that can provide information regarding tuition and fees, billing policies and dates, agency billing, payment plans, direct deposit of refunds, electronic billing and payments, tax information, and lost checks.

Student Loan Repayment

As of November 22, 2022, the Department of Education extended the student loan repayment pause and interest accrual that began in March 2020. The student loan payment pause was extended until the debt relief program litigation is resolved, with payments restarting 60 days later.

On June 3, 2023, President Biden signed the debt ceiling bill into law that implemented a firm end date to the COVID student loan repayment pause, regardless of the SCOTUS decision on the Biden administration’s debt relief. The Department of Education has announced that student loan interest will resume starting on September 1, 2023, and payments will be due starting in October and that they will notify borrowers before payments restart. 

The Department of Education is updating studentaid.gov on a regular basis as the repayment restart approaches. We encourage you to review this information as well guidance from the AccessLex Institute on the repayment restart, which includes webinars they are offering on the repayment restart. Finally, AccessLex has a Returning to Repayment checklist that can help with next steps.

The Administration has been working on a new income-driven repayment plan option for the past year but they are accelerating implementation of some of the new plan’s changes this summer in time for the payment restart.

Debt Relief

On August 24, 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration and the U.S. Department of Education announced a federal student loan debt relief program. As of November 2022, debt relief implementation was put on hold by court order and on June 30, 2023, the Supreme Court blocked implementation of the debt relief program. The Administration responded with new planned action surrounding student loan debt relief, including a negotiated rulemaking session to try to implement debt relief via other options.

Updated FAFSA

A new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and financial need calculation is expected to be introduced in December 2023 for the 2024-2025 academic year. While the new financial need calculation does not impact the federal student loan options for which graduate/professional students are eligible, the new FAFSA will streamline the application process but will include new methods for obtaining spousal information (as applicable). Any information about the new FAFSA will be shared on this website once the Department of Education releases it.

• 09/06/2023 - Autumn quarter bill available on my.UChicago from the Bursar
• 09/19/2023 - First disbursement date for Autumn Quarter student loans and scholarships
• 09/22/2023 - Stipend funding paydate for Autumn quarter
• 09/26/2023 - First day of Autumn Quarter classes
• 09/27/2023 - Autumn Quarter bill payment due date

• 10/15/2023 - LRAP Application for 2024 calendar year expected to be made available
• 11/23/2023 - 11/24/2023 - Financial Aid closed for Thanksgiving break

• December 2023 (date TBD) - FAFSA available on studentaid.gov for the 2024-2025 academic year
• 12/01/2023 - Priority application deadline for the LRAP application for 2024 calendar year
• 12/06/2023 - Winter quarter bill available on my.UChicago from the Bursar
• 12/25/2023 - 1/1/2024 - Financial Aid closed for Winter break
• 12/26/2023 - First disbursement date for Winter Quarter student loans and scholarships
• 12/29/2023 - Winter Quarter bill payment due date
• 12/29/2023 - Stipend funding paydate for Winter quarter

• 01/02/2024 - First day of Winter Quarter classes

• 03/01/2024 - FAFSA and UChicago Need Application deadline for admitted students
• 03/01/2024 - Spring quarter bill available on my.UChicago from the Bursar
• 03/08/2024 - First disbursement date for Spring Quarter student loans and scholarships
• 03/10/2024 - 03/15/2024 - Spring break, Financial Aid remains open
• 03/15/2024 - Summer 2024 Public Interest Funding application expected to be made available
• 03/08/2024 - Stipend funding paydate for Spring quarter
• 03/18/2024 - First day of Spring Quarter classes
• 03/29/2024 - Spring Quarter bill payment due date
• 03/31/2024 - LRAP application deadline for 2024 calendar year

• 05/15/2024 - Priority deadline for 2024-2025 FAFSA submission for continuing students
• 05/15/2024 - Application deadline for Summer 2024 Public Interest Funding application
• 05/31/2024 - Priority deadline for 2024-2025 FAFSA submission for deposited students

• 06/01/2024 - Convocation