Grants and Scholarships
JD Merit Scholarships
JD Merit Scholarships are awarded at the time of admission. There is no separate application process; awards, which range from $5,000 to full tuition, are based upon LSAT scores and prior academic performance. Awards are for one year and will be renewed if the recipient maintains a 2.50 GPA for the second and third years of law school.
Public Citizen Scholarships
Public Citizen Scholarships are awarded at the time of admission based on evidence of an applicant's commitment to public service. Awards of from $5,000 to full tuition are granted for one year and will be renewed if the recipient maintains a 2.50 GPA for the second and third years of law school.
MELP and LLM Merit Scholarships
VLS offers half- to full-tuition waivers to exceptional MELP and LLM candidates each year. In addition to a strong academic record, recipients will demonstrate commitment to environmental stewardship and public service. There is no separate application process; all admitted candidates will be given full consideration. Scholarship recipients will be notified by April 1.
Alden Trust Scholarship
This endowed fund was established by the Alden Trust to provide scholarships to needy students.
Debevoise Family Scholarship Fund
The Debevoise Family Scholarship Fund provides grants to qualified minority and disadvantaged applicants with demonstrated financial need. These grants are renewable if the student continues to demonstrate financial need.
Governor Ernest W. Gibson Scholarship
This endowed scholarship fund was established in memory of Governor Ernest W. Gibson. Awards from this fund are given to students who are residents of Vermont that have financial need with a preference given to students attending law school who express an intent to locate in the State of Vermont.
Vermont Law School Scholars
After completion of the first year of law school, the top five J.D. students in each class are designated Vermont Law School Scholars. Students honored with this title are awarded a certificate and a scholarship of up to $1,000 contingent upon financial need. These scholarship awards are renewable if the student remains financially needy.
Vermont Law School Tuition Scholarships
The Vermont Law School Tuition Scholarship Program provides grants to applicants based on a combination of demonstrated merit and financial need. Eligibility is determined on an annual basis.
Waterman Memorial Scholarships
Deserving and needy Vermonters are considered for funds from the Sterry R. Waterman Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship was established in recognition of the Honorable Sterry R. Waterman, former Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, and long-time President of the Vermont Law School Board of Trustees.
Windsor County Scholarships
This endowed fund was established to provide scholarship aid to needy graduates of Vermont high schools. Preference is given to students from Windsor County.
Judge Wolchik Memorial Scholarship
The Wolchik Scholarship Fund was established by the Vermont Trial Association as a memorial tribute to the Honorable Joseph J. Wolchik, who served with distinction as a Vermont District Court Judge.
Alumni/Alumnae Scholarship Fund
This fund provides scholarship support to one student in each class with financial need and a strong commitment to community service work as demonstrated through current and past work as well as future plans. The fund was established as the class gift by the class of 1991.
Dean’s Scholarship Awards
Following the first year of law school, students ranking in the top 20 percent of the class with demonstrated financial need may qualify for supplemental scholarship support through Dean’s Scholarship Awards. Funding from this fund is used to supplement existing merit and tuition scholarship awards to bring the scholarship funding to the following levels:
| Ranking | % of tuition funded by institutional scholarship (all sources) |
|---|---|
| 15 - 20% | 1/8 tuition |
| 10 - 15% | 1/4 tuition |
| 5 - 10% | 3/8 tuition |
| Top 5% | 1/2 tuition |
Legacy Partnership
This program provides restricted gifts to VLS students in the final year of law school. Scholarship recipients are selected by the financial aid office based on financial need. Whenever possible, attention is given to donor interests. Legacy recipients and donors of scholarship funds are encouraged to communicate.
Class of 1999 Scholarship
The Class of 1999 established this fund as a class gift that is awarded to student with financial need who has demonstrated leadership qualifications.
Gladys Brooks Merit Scholarship Endowment Fund
Merit Scholarship to exceptional second or third year law students who demonstrate the highest standards of educational achievement, leadership and academic ability. Financial need is not a consideration in the award.
The Doris Strum Scholarship Fund
This fund was established to provide a need based annual scholarship with a preference for non-traditional female students.
Shafer ‘77’79 Scholarship Fund
Rick and Bob Shafer established this fund to assist students on the basis of financial need.
Class of 1976 David B. Firestone Scholarship Fund
The Class of 1976 established this fund as their 25th Reunion Gift. Awards are based on need.
Class of 1977 Merit Scholarship
The Class of 1977 established this fund as their 25th Reunion Gift. Awards are based on merit.
Colorado Alumni Scholarship Program
Colorado alumni, parents, and friends established this fund based on need.
Orlando Green Memorial Scholarship Fund
This fund was established to recognize Orlando’s role as a builder of community at VLS by providing a scholarship each year to a deserving student based on need.
VBA: Young Lawyers Section Scholarship Fund
This fund was established to offer financial assistance to VLS students that have financial need, and who undertake to stay in Vermont to practice law.
The Charles ’93 and Anya ’94 Yates Memorial Scholarship Fund
This fund was established so VLS may continue to attract top-notch students who will pursue a career in law and become caretakers of our society and the environment long into the future.
The Chief Justice Olin M. Jeffords Scholarship
Each Jeffords Scholars will be a second or third year VLS student who graduated from a Vermont high school, graduated from a Vermont college, or has a five year Vermont residency before entering Vermont Law School; and demonstrates both academic scholarship and a commitment to public service.
The Edwin I. Colodny Endowed Scholarship Fund
This fund was established to provide an annual merit-based and need-based scholarship to a VLS student in the J.D. program.
Post Graduate Assistance:
Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)
The Vermont Law School LRAP assists alumni entering low paying, public interest law with education loan payments. It is our goal to minimize educational debt as a consideration in career choice. These loan awards supplement the income of graduates with unrealistic education payments - to - income ratios for up to three years post graduation. Loans are provided to refinance existing educational debt and to reduce the burden of educational loan payments. LRAP loans are forgiven contingent upon achievement of employment criterion outlined in the promissory note.
Class of 1979 LRAP
The Class of 1979 established this fund as their class gift. This fund provides grants to recent graduates to reduce outstanding educational loans while serving in relatively low-income positions in public service.
Chandra Bellanger Memorial Fund
This fund established “to honor Chandra’s commitment” to the cause of environmental justice by supporting alums with LRAP funds who work in the environmental justice field.
The Edwin A. Malloy Fund for the Practice of Public Interest Law
The Sun Hill Foundation established this fund to assist VLS graduates working in the field of non-governmental environmental non-profit law.
Mara Williams and James L. Oakes LRAP Endowment
Started by former Oakes clerks in honor of the judge’s retirement from the bench.
Terry Ehrich LRAP
To honor the memory of Terry Ehrich. This fund was established to assist VLS graduates working in the public service, foundation or non-profit areas.
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