Funding for your Law School studies is available from several sources. The Law School awards one full scholarship annually to a Joint Degree Program student, covering tuition. The Law School also awards a limited number of merit scholarships, and all students may apply for financial aid. Law faculty, including those involved in the Joint Degree Program, also employ Research Assistants (RA's).
The Joint Degree Program awards additional scholarships. The Harold M. Fredrikson Memorial Scholarship was established by the Law Firm of Fredrikson & Byron to provide partial support for Law School tuition. The Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Association (MIPLA) has provided a partial scholarship in the past as well.
Support available for your Graduate School studies varies somewhat by graduate program and whether you are seeking a Master's or Doctorate degree. Check with the Director of Graduate Studies of your graduate program. Most graduate programs fully support their PhD candidates through some combination of financial awards, Teaching Assistant (TA), and Research Assistant (RA) positions. Programs vary more in their support for Master's candidates. Joint Degree Program students are eligible for the Graduate School's prestigious Graduate Fellowships and Dissertation Fellowships.
Under current Graduate School rules, graduate students who hold at least a 25% time appointment as a TA or RA for 195 hours per semester get tuition benefits equal to twice the percentage of their appointment (for example, those holding a 25% appointment get a 50% tuition benefit, while those holding a 50% appointment get a 100% tuition benefit).
The School of Public Health will also make available at least one scholarship per year (amounting to a full tuition waiver for up to three years) to support a joint degree admittee throughout the course of the student's joint degree study in the JD/MPH (deferrable for 1-2 years while attending law school in first and second years). Where possible, the School will also provide opportunities for Research Assistant (RA) and Teaching Assistant (TA) positions that are of clear educational value to the student (MPH students who hold at least a 25% time appointment as an RA or TA for 195 hours per semester already receive resident tuition benefits).
The Medical School, through the Minnesota Medical Foundation, will give
scholarship priority to exceptional students accepted in the MD/JD program,
and provide at least 3 nonresident tuition waivers per year for nonresident
MD/JD students, bringing their Medical School tuition down to resident
levels.
The staff of the Joint Degree Program can help you work with the Law School and your graduate program or professional school to seek the financial support you need. We are also aggressively seeking additional grants and contributions from community partners to support Joint Degree Program students.
