Doing the Math
I just got a question on my blog about how to actually pay for law school. Obviously, a very fair (and important) question, and one that there's no easy answer to.
First, I think it's really important to figure out if you want to go to law school. The debt burden for law school students is significant, and you don't want to take on a burden that you'll regret.
That said, if you're committed to coming to law school, there are a few things you can do to reduce the sting of the cost (although no matter what, it's going to hurt). One thing that really helps is to do your homework. Identify your top choice school, spend a lot of time on your application, including your resume and essays, so the school not only wants you to go there, but also wants to help you to go there by giving you financial assistance. Getting your application in as early as possible helps, because every school, Northeastern or otherwise, has a limited amount of financial aid dollars that it can distribute, and being first in line is never a bad thing. Northeastern has various scholarships, and you can look here for more information:
http://northeastern.edu/law/financial-aid/types/scholarships/index.html
Additionally, there are some really good public interest loan forgiveness programs that you should take a look at, and you generally should qualify for these programs if you pursue a career in the government or non-profit sectors after law school. The following link has great information on the available programs, including calculators, etc.:
http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/resources/student-debt-relief/public-service-loan-forgiveness
Finally, there is always the possibility of making some money while in law school, either through co-op (if you end up at Northeastern), or in a totally separate job. However, doing more than a few hours of work a week, especially your first year, is going to be tough. As for co-op, some pay, and some don't, and those that do pay range from a few hundred dollars per week to up to $3,000 per week (although these are hard to come by).
Hope this is helpful, and keep the questions coming!








