PLAN AHEAD

Your legal education should be considered an investment that will increase in value over time. You should begin planning now to secure financial aid to cover the costs associated with law school attendance. By planning ahead, you will better understand the financial obligations that you will be assuming.

Plan ahead - Make sure that you do the following:

1. Explore scholarship opportunities on this web page and through outside organizations
2. Check with your employer for tuition reimbursement opportunities
3. Review federal student loan requirements and limits on this web page
4. Request your free credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com
5. Review your FICO score on the credit report to determine if you will qualify to borrow a Graduate PLUS loan

Minimize debt

The most import way to minimize debt incurred during law school is through budgeting. Stetson sets a standard living expense budget for students. Living within this modest budget will allow you to maintain control of your finances. We recommend that you use the interactive worksheet to begin the budget process at www.theloanprogram.org/Calculators

Ways to Build Sound Credit

• Use a budget to help manage debt wisely
• Pay all bills on time
• If you miss a payment, get current and stay current
• Keep credit card balances low and make the maximum payment each month
• Pay off debt rather than moving it around to new credit cards
• Limit the number of credit cards that you carry with you
• Open new credit cards over time rather than several at once
• Follow creditors' guidelines for dispute on your accounts. Not paying the disputed amount is a harmful strategy
• Closing unused credit card account is NOT a quick fix to increase your credit score

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