What are my tuition charges per credit hour?
Tuition rates for your program for the current academic year may be found by visiting the J.D. Program Tuition and Fees.
What types of financial aid can I receive as a law student at Chicago-Kent College?
At the graduate/professional level at Chicago-Kent College, the types of financial aid that are available are Scholarships, Federal Work Study, Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, and Federal Graduate PLUS Loans. You must meet all eligibility requirements to be considered for Federal Student Aid.
What is a Cost of Attendance?
Your Cost of Attendance is your student budget for the academic year and includes the budget components of Tuition and Fees, Room and Board, Books, Transportation and Miscellaneous Expenses. The amounts that we allot for the budget components which make up your Cost of Attendance are based on data that our office collects through a student survey at the beginning of each year. This data is based on an average amount of expenses a student may incur during the academic year.
You may receive a total financial aid award up to, but not exceeding, your total Cost of Attendance. Additionally, the Office of Financial Aid encourages students to borrow conservatively and only borrow what you feel you will need for the nine-month academic year.
How do I accept my financial aid award?
You can view and accept your offered financial aid award(s) by searching for "Financial Aid" in the Illinois Tech Portal. For detailed instructions, please click HERE.
If you have difficulty accessing your Illinois Tech Portal account, please contact our office via email at finaid@kentlaw.iit.edu.
Am I eligible for Federal Work Study?
In order to be considered for Federal Work Study (FWS) funds, you must have answered “Yes” to the question on the FAFSA, “Are you interested in being considered for work-study?” and you must demonstrate need.
How is financial aid disbursed and when will my financial aid award(s) be credited to my student account?
Financial Aid (scholarships and federal student loans) is disbursed in equal installments directly to your student account approximately 10 days before the start of each semester as long as there are no outstanding requirements necessary to complete the processing of your federal student loans.
Please note, our office must verify your enrollment and eligibility before the funds can be credited to your tuition account. This process may take approximately 1–3 days beyond the scheduled disbursement date.
It’s 10 days before the start of classes. Why hasn’t my financial aid disbursed?
Two common reasons why you have not received your financial aid disbursements may include:
- You are not enrolled in the minimum credit hours required of your program. If this situation applies to you, please contact the Office of Financial Aid with your enrollment plans so we may review your financial aid and make any necessary adjustments.
- You have unsatisfied requirements necessary to complete the processing of your student loans. It’s best to check the Home page in the Financial Aid Dashboard of your Illinois Tech Portal portal to view any “Unsatisfied Requirements” and submit any necessary documentation to the Office of Financial Aid. To review Chicago-Kent’s Federal Student Loan requirements, please visit our webpage.
If you have any questions regarding your financial aid disbursements, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.
Why are my student loan disbursements less than the amount I accepted on the Illinois Tech Portal?
The total amount that you borrow for each loan for the academic year is the Gross Amount. The Federal Government takes an Origination Fee off the top of the loan after loan is processed, and what is disbursed to your student account is the Net Amount (Gross Amount less Origination Fees).
Origination Fees on Federal Direct Student Loans change every October 1. For current Loan Origination Fee percentages, please find the Loan Origination Fees section on our Federal Loans webpage.
When will I receive a refund for living expenses?
If you have a credit balance in your account after scholarships, student loan funds, and any outside resources have been credited to your account, the Student Accounting Office will process a refund for you. Please contact the Student Accounting Office directly at 312.567.3795 or via email at sa@iit.edu for any questions regarding a timeline for receiving your refund.
What do I need to do to change my requested loan amount?
To request a change to your existing loan amount, please email the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@kentlaw.iit.edu.
I am a 1L and I thought I borrowed enough financial aid to cover the total tuition due for the entire academic year. Why didn’t my financial aid cover my fall semester balance?
The tuition billing for first year students is based on a flat rate of 31 credits for the year. Students have a set registration schedule of 16 credit hours for the fall semester and 15 credit hours for the spring semester unless you choose the 1L Your Way Program (you are a Summer Start student).
As tuition is billed per credit hour per semester, your tuition charges for the fall semester will be greater than the tuition charges for the spring term. This means your charges for the fall and spring semester will not be equal, but your financial aid disbursements will be equal. As a result, your accepted financial aid may not cover all of your charges or provide you with the refund amount that you were expecting.
We strongly recommend students plan accordingly and complete an Estimated Refund Calculation Worksheet to help you estimate your refund per semester.
I’m a rising 2L and it looks like my financial aid award is a lot smaller than what I received as a first year law student, is this correct?
For most students this is correct. Your Cost of Attendance as a continuing student is based on the standard minimum required credits for the program type:
- Full time/day division students = 12 credits per semester
- Part time/evening division students = six credits per semester
As stated previously, tuition is charged per credit hour based on your tuition rate, and you may receive a total financial aid award up to, but not exceeding your total academic year Cost of Attendance.
However, if you are taking more than the standard minimum credit load per semester and you wish to borrow additional financial aid to cover your tuition costs and living expenses, you may email the Office of Financial Aid requesting an increase to your federal student loan(s). We will then provide you with assistance with determining your eligibility for additional financial aid.
As a friendly reminder: The total amount you request will be disbursed equally between the fall and spring semesters. If your enrollment for the fall and spring term is not for the same number of credit hours, your financial aid refund will not be the same amount each term. Therefore, we ask that you budget accordingly and if you need guidance, please contact our office via email or telephone (312.906.5180).
I am a full-time JD student who is graduating next year. I am planning to take less than 12 credits in either the fall or spring semester. Am I eligible for financial aid?
You must be enrolled at least-half time (six credit hours) in courses that are applicable toward the 87 credits required for your JD degree. In addition, students are not eligible for financial aid for any course credits that are not required for their JD degree. In other words, credits taken above the 87 credits required for graduation are not eligible for federal financial aid.
If you plan to take between six and 11 total credits in any given semester, it is best to send your fall and spring enrollment intentions to our office via email. This will prevent delays of your disbursements and refunds. Once we receive your enrollment intentions, we will customize your Cost of Attendance budget to reflect your projected enrollment. Please inform our office of your enrollment intentions at least three weeks before classes start to ensure your financial aid is not delayed.
Chicago-Kent Scholarship Eligibility
If you are in your last year and are taking less than 12 credits per semester, no action is required of you to receive your scholarship. Your scholarship will be posted to your student account, but cannot exceed your tuition.
How do I defer my prior student loans?
Students who are interested in deferring their prior student loans should contact the Registrar’s Office at REGQ@kentlaw.iit.edu or at 312.905.5080.
How can I find out how much outstanding student loan debt I already have?
You can obtain a history of your federal student loans through the National Student Loan Database System (NSLDS) by visiting https://nsldsfap.ed.gov
Access to this system requires the same FSA ID and password used for the FAFSA. You can create a new FSA ID by visiting the following link: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch
I do not qualify for Federal Financial Aid, what options do I have to help pay for my tuition and living-expenses?
If you do not meet all of the eligibility requirements necessary to apply for federal financial aid, you may want to consider a Private Educational Loan to cover some of your education-related expenses. Please visit our webpage for information on Private Loans.