Financial Aid/Tuition - Massachusetts School of Law

Kathy Perry
Director of Financial Aid
Alumni Liaison
978.681.0800 X140
perry@mslaw.edu

To receive financial aid, a student must be registered for at least half time (6 credits) per semester. All financial aid is to be used to help defray the costs of tuition and fees and other education-related expenses incurred during the academic year.

Tuition

Cost per Credit:

Tuition for the 2024-2025 academic year is $865.00 per credit hour. Full-time students carry 15 credits per semester, for a total tuition of $12,975.00 per semester; part-time students carry either 11 or 12 credits per semester, for a total tuition of $9,515.00 or $10,380.00 per semester. There are no additional fees charged by MSL other than tuition itself and the one-time charge for the building fund fee of $750.00 which is non-refundable. MSL requires students to complete 90 credits to graduate and receive their Juris Doctorate degree. Currently, credits are charged at a rate of $865.00 per credit, the total cost of tuition is $77,850.00 plus a one-time building fee of $750.00, which is paid during the first semester of attendance.

MSLAW Tuition Rates 2024-2025:

Per Semester:

Part-time (12 credits) $10,380.00

Full-time (15 credits) $12,975.00

Annual:

Part time (24 credits) $20,760.00

Full-time (30 credits) $25,950.00

MSLAW requires students to complete 90 credits in order to graduate and receive their Juris Doctorate degree. Currently, credits are charged at a rate of $865.00 per credit, the total cost of tuition is $77,850.00 plus a one-time building fee of $750.00, which is paid during the first semester of attendance. Tuition is charged per semester.

Cost of Attendance (COA) is determined by the student body, MSL sets the estimated budgets based on student surveys collected each year from much of our student body to calculate a monthly allowance in related expenses like room and board, books, transportation, and estimated tuition expenses. The maximum loan amount which can be award cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance (COA). Students planning on graduating in December may borrow up to the estimated cost of attendance for 4 months of school.

Estimated Independent Student Budget
2024-2025	New	Returning	Dec. Grad	Spring New
	Fall/Spring 9month	Fall/Spring 9month	Fall 4month	5 months
Tuition	$ 20,760.00	$ 20,760.00	$ 7,785.00	$ 10,380.00
Building Fees	$ 750.00	$ –	–	$ 750.00
Books/supplies	$ 800.00	$ 800.00	$ 400.00	$ 800.00
Loan Fees	$ 216.00	$ 216.00	$ 216.00	$ 216.00
Room and Board	$ 27,477.00	$ 27,477.00	$ 12,212.00	$ 15,265.00
Personal	$ 3,300.00	$ 3,600.00	$ 1,600.00	$ 1,805.00
Transportation	$ 3,249.00	$ 3,249.00	$ 1,444.00	$ 2,000.00
Estimated Cost of Attendance	$ 56,852.00	$ 56,102.00	$ 23,657.00	$31,216.00

Tuition and building fee are considered a DIRECT estimated cost, which is a charged directly by MSL. All other charges in the chart above are considered INDIRECT charges, meaning other education related expenses that will vary based on need. The Chart above is an example of an independent student not living with parents. These amounts may be reduced if student is living with parents.

Payment Plans:

Tuition Payments are due at registration. If you are paying through installments, payments are due on the 15^th of each month. Bills are mailed to the students as a courtesy – failure to receive a bill does not mean payment is not due. There are various methods of paying tuition at MSL. A student can pay the entire tuition for the semester when registering for that semester. Alternatively, the student can pay fifty percent of the semester’s tuition when registering, and the remaining fifty percent, plus a twenty-dollar carrying charge, no later than thirty days thereafter. Finally, a student may pay in four installments. Under this installment plan, twenty-five percent of a student’s tuition for the semester must be paid at registration and additional payments of twenty-five percent must be paid by the 15^th of each succeeding monthly period until the full amount of tuition has been paid. Interest on unpaid balances is charged at .88% per month. Students who receive loans processed through MSLAW are ineligible for installment payment plans.

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan):

If you need a loan to help cover the cost of MSL, think of federal student loans first. Both federal and private student loans are borrowed funds that you must repay with interest, but federal student loans usually offer lower interest rates and have more flexible repayment terms and options than private student loans. A federal student loan is made through a loan program administered by the federal government. The following link provides Direct Loan Basics for student looking to borrow: https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/direct-loan-basics-students.pdf

Federal student loans offer many benefits that don’t typically accompany private loans. These include fixed interest rates, income-based repayment plans, loan cancellation for certain types of employment, deferment (postponement) options, and interest rate reduction based on repayment method. Also, private loans usually require a credit check, while most federal loans for students do not. For these reasons, students and parents should always exhaust federal student loan options first before considering a private loan. Direct Loans have many benefits that private loans don’t typically offer, to learn more about the differences between Direct Loans and private loans, visit www.StudentAid.gov/federal-vs-private

Direct Loans (loans made by the federal government) are available to help you cover your education expenses. This brochure will help guide you through the basics of responsible borrowing. BASICS OF STUDENT LOANS With careful planning and an understanding of the basics of student loans, you can help ensure that you achieve your academic goals and graduate with a manageable amount of debt. https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/direct-loan-basics-students.pdf

Loan Types Available: There are two types of Direct Loans available at MSL that can help students and parents pay for education.

Direct Unsubsidized Loans – Undergraduate, Graduate, and professional degree students https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized
Direct PLUS Loans – Graduate and professional degree students, and parents of dependent undergraduate students (you must not have an adverse credit history) www.StudentAid.gov/plus

Direct Unsubsidized Loans are federal student loans offered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to help eligible students cover the cost of higher education at a four-year college or university, community college, or trade, career, or technical school. (You might see Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans referred to as Stafford Loans or Direct Stafford Loans, but these aren’t the official loan names.) Interest rates on loans disbursed before July 1, 2022, at www.StudentAid.gov/interest

For more information on loans, visit www.StudentAid.gov/loans and www.StudentAid.gov/resources#loan-programs

Refund Policy for the Massachusetts School of Law 2024-2025 Academic Year

Fall 2024 semester refunds of tuition are made according to the following schedule:

Withdrawals before the start of the semester – 100% refund of tuition, excluding non-refundable deposits.
Within the first 15 days of the term – 80% refund of tuition.
After the 15th day of the term – no refund will be given.

Please note that there are no refunds for tuition or any fees if the Massachusetts School of Law determines at some point in the semester that, for public safety reasons, it must move all classes to remote learning and suspend in person classes. By registering for classes, students understand that student and staff safety is the primary concern and MSLAW may modify all aspects of its program (educational, both in-person and remote; and any other programs currently available or created over the course of the 2024-2025 academic year) at its sole discretion in response to this health crisis. MSLAW will consider the guidance and directives of public health authorities and agencies if it becomes necessary to return to remote learning. MSLAW refunds credit balances directly to the student except if a student has petitioned to receive a conditional credit.

Spring 2025 semester refunds of tuition are made according to the following schedule:

Withdrawals before the start of the semester – 100% refund of tuition, excluding non-refundable deposits.
Within the first 15 days of the term – 80% refund of tuition.
After the 15th day of the term – no refund will be given.

The following are considered a student’s withdrawal from Massachusetts School of Law:

Approved Medical LOA/Withdrawal
Beginning the withdrawal process from the school
Notification from the student of their intent to withdraw.
Documented last day of attendance (LDA) during an academically related activity.
Leaving the school without notification; this constitutes an unofficial withdrawal*

*Unofficial Withdrawal: Students who are considered unofficially withdrawn are subject to the Return of Title IV Funds rules in that their federal aid will be recalculated based on either the 50% point of the semester or the last known date of attendance. Depending upon when you withdraw or take a leave of absence, you may be subject to a Return of Title IV funds. This is a federal calculation the Office of Financial Aid must make for any federal aid recipient withdrawing during a period of enrollment. If a student who has been approved for a Medical Leave of Absence but is not eligible for a return of Title l V funds, self pays tuition, and their tuition account has been paid in full – these students may petition Dean Kaldis prior to the semester they are returning by submitting a written petition with documentation requesting a pro-rated tuition credit.

After Direct Student Loans (Unsubsidized and Graduate Plus loans) have been disbursed, if a student withdraws from the semester and MSL, the student Direct Federal loans will be returned according to this policy.

Return of Federal/Title IV Funding – Calculation

This policy applies to students who withdraw, are administratively withdrawn, are approved for a leave of absence. Refunds for these students are determined according to the following policy:

The term “Title IV Funds” refers to the federal financial aid programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended) and for students enrolled at MSL’s federal educational loan programs applicable to MSL.
A student’s withdrawal/leave of absence date is:
- The date the student began MSL’s withdrawal process or officially notified MSL of intent to withdraw; or
- The student’s last date of attendance at a documented academically related activity; or
- The midpoint of the period of enrollment for a student who leaves without notifying the MSL.
- The determination of the student’s withdrawal/leave of absence date shall be made by the Law School.
Determining the amount of Title IV funds to be returned:
- Refunds on all allowable charges including tuition and fees will be prorated on a per diem basis based on the number of days in attendance as a proportion to the number of days in the term or period of enrollment, up to the 60% point in the semester.
- There are no refunds after the 60% point in time, as the federal regulations view the aid has been “100% earned” after that point in time.
- Students will receive a worksheet for this calculation and examples can be requested from MSL Financial Aid Office.

MSL complies with the refund policies as outlined in the Higher Education Amendments of 1998. The refund calculation for the return of Title IV funds with completion of less than or equal to sixty percent of the semester will be the lesser of:

Total Title IV Aid X % of Uncompleted Semester = Unearned Aid

Total Institutional Costs X % of Uncompleted Semester = Unearned Costs

MSL will refund the credit of the lesser of Unearned Aid or Unearned Costs to the Title IV programs in the following order:

Direct Federal Unsubsidized Loan

Direct Federal Graduate PLUS Loan

If more than sixty percent of the semester is completed, no Title IV funds will be returned.

Credit Balances:

A credit balance occurs whenever a student has funds credited to their student account that exceed the total amount of a student’s direct charges. Per cash management regulations, credit balances resulting exclusively from Title IV (federal) aid are refunded directly to the student as soon as possible but no later than 14 days after the first day of classes or the date the funds were applied to a student’s account, whichever comes last.

Regulations stipulate that a student’s unpaid charges on their bill must be satisfied before a refund can be processed.
MSL does not hold credit balance resulting from an overpayment of Title IV funds.

Any student with a credit balance resulting from an overpayment of Title IV funds will automatically receive notice to appear at the Financial Aid office to complete a check disbursement form and receive their refund.

Third Party Authorization by employer, VA benefits or a prepaid tuition program

All authorizations and completed paperwork should be received prior to payment due date. All company authorizations must be on company letterhead and by the appropriate company representative and can be emailed to bowab@mslaw.edu

Withdrawal
Students who wish to withdraw from the Massachusetts School of Law should submit a hard copy letter (email is not sufficient) to the registrar’s office. A student who submits a letter of withdrawal is withdrawing from the entire program, not just for a semester and is not eligible to return in future semesters without permission of the Admissions Committee.