law student funding

Beginning with appearing for the LNAT entrance test to start an undergraduate degree in law, getting your visa application, TOEFL or IELTS exams, enrolling as a student member of the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA), completing the Graduate Diploma in law (GDL), the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or the Barristers Professional Training Course (BPTC) formerly the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) and other related costs can add up to a significant amount. 

Easing the financial burden can be done in several ways which we will discuss here. Financial support schemes are available through various resources – scholarships, government grants, bank loans, sponsorships and in-house funding schemes provided by law firms and chambers.

However, many of these types of funding like government grants and loans are only available for home and EU students. Although, if you are from outside the EU there are some possibilities for sponsorship via organisations such as the British Council.

What to expect at university in the UK

The first set of expenses comes for applying when you begin the degree. Various fees will include tuition, joining & living expenses for undergraduate studies, both law and non-law courses and other small expenses. Students are always shocked by the first trip to the Book store when armed with the reading list for example. Expect to pay anything from £150 to £300 a year purely on text books! 

This period of education could cost you a minimum of £10,000 for EU students and between £15,000- £45,000 for non-EU students depending on the region and city you live in, location of the school or university and whether a commute is involved. Financial assistance is available for EU students by way of a student loan and these are disbursed separately, one to cover your tuition and the other for your living & maintenance expenses.

These loans are repayable on graduation, with nominal rates of interest for amounts which exceed a predefined payment threshold. Any amount up to this threshold is usually interest free.

For non-EU students and EU students alike most universities offer some bursary schemes often with quite specific criteria but if you can find one that fits your profile these can be very useful and do not have to be paid back. Please check with individual universities for more details, this information may be found on their site.

It is a good idea to contact you university to see whether they offer any incentive funds. Many universities will now offer a bursary to students with a certain amount of UCAS points. For higher and postgraduate studies, costs involved are much greater, especially for professional courses. 

What is involved after university?

In law, expenses for fees and maintenance need to be worked out while doing the Graduate Diploma in law (GDL – the law conversion course), the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or the Barristers Professional Training Course (BPTC) formerly the Bar Vocational Course (BVC).

If you are unfamiliar with these courses please see the courses section for more detailed information.

For the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), the law conversion course for people with a non-law degree, fees range from around £3,500 to £8,000, not including living and other expenses.

The Legal Practice Course (LPC), the course required for anyone that would like to be a solicitor can cost anything between £5,000 and £12,000; however amounts will vary depending on the provider you choose.

Similarly, the Barristers Professional Training Course (BPTC) formerly the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) for those who wish to become barrister will set you back between £10,000 £15,000.

Funding these courses is possible in only two ways, (i) a bank loan; (ii) sponsorship from the law firm offering you a training contract or the chambers offering you pupillage. There are no scholarships or education grants available from the institutions or the local education authorities for these programmes. 

Most banks have an active credit programme for funding higher studies with repayments beginning once employment is secured. These are treated like any other loans in terms of interest and repayment plans though. The only concession made is in the deferment of the repayment schedule. 

Most large and medium sized law firms offer full coverage for the Graduate Diploma in Law & Legal Practice Course (LPC) course fees, including payments with retrospective effect when the course has already been paid for by you.

Also, some chambers will sponsor those offered a pupillage through their Bar Vocational Professional Course (BPTC) previously the Bar Vocational Course (BVC).

In addition, firms provide a substantial chunk of money for living expenses, depending on where operations are based and the location for your training.

During the training contract, salaries and interest-free season ticket loans and subsidised on-site restaurants which will form a large chunk of your expenses will be additionally funded as part of the annual benefits. Getting the necessary financial support once on a training contract is usually never an issue.

Resources & Applications

Some organizations and bodies which help out with student finance can be checked out at the following links:

http://www.studentfinancedirect.co.uk

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/studentsupport

http://www.support4learning.org.uk

http://www.internationalscholarships.com  (tip search higher education)

All these organizations provide detailed information on what funding is available, how to apply for assistance and the terms and conditions for providing such assistance. 

In addition, a Trainee Solicitors’ Group (TSG) helpline is available where you can collect information on financial assistance; the number is 08000-856-131.

01-10-2009