Admission to the Faculty of Law is a highly selective and rigorous process. We look for intellectually curious individuals with a high potential for leadership.
Choosing to attend the University of Toronto Faculty of Law is a significant and rewarding investment in yourself. U of T’s dedication to accessible excellence sets us apart from our peer public universities in the United States and elsewhere around the world. For students who receive an offer of admission to U of T Law, tuition should not be a barrier to pursuing your JD.
We offer two Financial Aid Programs:
- JD Financial Aid Program for students who are attending U of T Law
- Post-Graduation Debt Repayment Assistance Program (PDRAP) for U of T JD alumni
As Canada’s leading public university, we have pledged that no qualified undergraduate will have to decline admission or withdraw from studies due to financial circumstances. Our donors have made this remarkable commitment possible. Over the past 7 years, a combination of donor support and University operating funds has increased annual student financial aid disbursements at the Faculty of Law from $3.13 million to $5.1 million. U of T supports more students from lower-income households and allots more dollars from our operating budget to bursaries and scholarships than any other Ontario university.
During their time in law school, students are expected to access a variety of funding sources outside of a U of T Law Financial Aid Program. These include:
U of T Law JD Financial Aid Program
Increasing accessibility for students who merit admission is our number one priority. Bursaries directly support students based on financial need, and are issued to those students who need it most.
Who can apply
Canadian citizens and permanent residents can apply to receive financial support as they pursue a JD degree or a combined JD degree at U of T.
Check if you are eligible
Please note that UofT JD students are not eligible to apply for UTAPS program through the University - https://registrar.utoronto.ca/finances-and-funding/utaps/eligibility/. UofT's Faculty of Law JD Financial Aid Program is offered INSTEAD of UTAPS.
For alumni of our JD program please see the Post-Graduation Debt Repayment Assistance Program.
About the program
Our Financial Aid Program is aimed at filling the gap between a student’s financial resources and the cost of attending law school. The financial support is provided in the form of bursaries as well as interest reimbursements on authorized lines of credit.
The program is administered based on policies defined by our Financial Aid Committee, which includes staff, faculty and students. The Committee’s mandate is to ensure that the Faculty’s financial aid system is fair for all students, based on demonstrated need.
Financial support is structured to ensure that students with the greatest need receive the greatest amount of funding:
- The first $8,000 is funded through Professional Lines of Credit.
Our Financial Aid Program reimburses students the interest charged on withdrawals from their authorized line of credit.
- Should a student’s demonstrated need exceed $8,000, bursaries are available. Each year we distribute approximately $5 million in financial aid to our JD students.
How to apply
To efficiently and successfully apply for financial aid, it is critical to follow these steps in sequence:
1. Earn acceptance into our JD program
Only students who have been accepted to U of T Law in the upcoming academic year can apply to our JD Financial Aid Program.
2. Assess if you are eligible for JD financial aid
Use our online estimator JD Financial Aid Estimator | University of Toronto Faculty of Law (utoronto.ca) The information you input will closely align with what the JD Financial Aid Program application will also require.
3. Read the Policies and Procedures booklet and visit our website
Students are required to familiarize themselves with the latest Financial Aid Program Policies and Procedures Booklet for JD Students and Financial Aid Website.
Have questions about special circumstances?
Please contact the JD Financial Aid Office. We are here to help you!
- Email financialaid.law@utoronto.ca
- Call during regular office hours 416-978-3716 or
- Drop by the office – Jackman Law Building, 78 Queen’s Park, Student Service Centre, Room, P306
4. Apply for government aid
Required: All Financial Aid Program applicants must first apply to their province for government financial assistance. There are several reasons for this:
- Typically, government aid is issued in the form of grants that do not need to be paid back and loans that require repayment.
- You can select to only take grants that don't require repayment and not the loans that do.
- Government loans do not require repayment until you graduate and then, the repayment terms are typically favorable.
- Should you not be in a position to repay the loan after graduation, there is Repayment Assistance Plan that allows you to pay smaller amounts based on your income. You may also apply for the Post-Graduation Debt Repayment Assistance Program (PDRAP)
- Proof of having applied, and being eligible for, government student financial assistance can be used in early August to defer (to a later date) payment of law school tuition, when government funding and our financial aid will be available to reduce your tuition.
- Our JD Financial Aid Program is limited and provides funding that supplements government aid.
- Receiving government aid is a pre-requisite to receiving our financial aid.
- Application for government financial assistance will require similar information to complete our JD Financial Aid Program application.
Important! As part of your JD Financial Aid Program application, you will need to retain copies of what you submit for government financial assistance. The Financial Aid Office will need to confirm that the information you provide the government matches with what you submit to our program.
Before you submit your application for government aid, take screenshots of every page with all relevant fields completed. This is necessary because once you submit your application to the government you may no longer have access to this information.
5. Gather all relevant information
A range of supporting documentation is required to submit your application to the JD Financial Aid Program. Depending on your individual circumstances, this includes (but is not limited to) information about:
Note: If you are unable to provide some elements of the required supporting documentation, please contact the Financial Aid Office.
6. Meet the application deadline
We will review all applications and reach out to you within a few weeks if we require additional information.
Note: You are expected to provide the Financial Aid Office with accurate information about your financial situation. You are required to notify the Financial Aid Office in writing within 30 days of any changes to your financial situation. This include, but is not limited to:
- Changes in marital status
- Receipt of additional scholarships and awards
- Employment during the academic year
- Change in assets of more than $1,000 from the original financial aid application
7. Submit additional supporting documentation
You have until September 6 to submit all final documents to have your financial assessment issued by September 25.
Documents to be submitted typically include:
- Government aid funding amount
- Final pay stub from summer employment
- Housing lease
- Scholarships or bursaries awarded.
Note: Delay in submitting all required documents will result in delay in financial assessment and bursary issuance
Receipts for the following expenses can be provided any time before December 12 and will result in a re-calculation of your bursary:
- Moving expenses
- Computer purchase
- Medical expenses
8. Receive financial aid assessment
- On September 25, you will receive an email about the bursary amounts you are eligible to receive as well as the amount of authorized line of credit on which the interest will be reimbursed.
- You can reach out to the Financial Aid Office if you have any questions or concerns about your financial aid allocation.
- You have 30 days to make a Request for Reconsideration of your financial aid assessment if you have extraneous factors that are not accounted for in your financial aid calculation.
- You may make a Request for Reconsideration at any time if you have experienced exceptional or changing circumstances that impact your financial situation.
- By October 10, bursaries are submitted to the University's Registrar's office for credit against tuition and fees.
- Students who took out Professional Lines of Credit must submit their January or February statements to the Financial Aid Office by February 15 for authorized interest reimbursement, which will be credited to their ACORN account.
Post-Graduation Debt Repayment Assistance Program (PDRAP)
Upon graduation, the Faculty of Law assists eligible JD alumni with repaying financial debt. The Post-Graduation Debt Repayment Assistance Program (PDRAP) provides interest-free loans, a portion of which is forgiven for each year the participant remains in the program.
Alumni are expected to rely on both the aid available through the federal government’s Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) and the PDRAP Program.
Get complete details about PDRAP
