Types of Aid for Students & Alumni/COAP

The Law School expects all students to finance a portion of their education with loans. We strive to minimize and equalize our students’ debt load. In general, we allocate our grant resources to students with the greatest financial need, and use a formula that increases the proportion of grant as total need increases.

There are several types of loans available through various lenders. The most common types of loans for Yale Law students are Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans, Grad Plus loans.

Grants are also available from Yale and from outside sources. Yale awards grants on the basis of financial need. Scholarships and grants awarded from outside sources are used to reduce the loan portion of a Yale Law School award. See a list of outside scholarships.

The Law School has also pioneered a loan repayment assistance program that allows students to take jobs in nonprofit organizations, public interest, government, academia, or small firms. COAP (Career Options Assistance Program) has always been one of the most generous and flexible loan forgiveness programs in existence, and the Law School has recently announced even more support for its graduates. 

Learn more about COAP

For additional information on financial aid, please see the Financial Aid Handbook.

Learn more about increased support for graduates and public interest.