Online Master of Legal Studies Tuition & Financial Aid

Vanderbilt Law School is proud to provide a prestigious education from a top-20 law school.

We know the cost of an advanced degree is a big factor in making your decision to continue your education. The following is information and links that you may find helpful as you begin to explore how to finance your MLS degree.

• Online MLS Tuition & Fees
• Financial Aid
• Military & Veteran Benefits
• Employer Discounts, Tuition Reimbursement & Scholarships
• Vanderbilt Employee Tuition Assistance
• Tuition Payment
• Payment Plans
• Withdrawal & Refund Policy
• Online Student Services & Health Fees

Online MLS Tuition & Fees

*Tuition subject to change term over term.

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* These fees are per semester. All students registered in the program are assessed the Online Student Services & Student Health Fees, which are set by the Vanderbilt Board of Trust and billed through the Office of Student Accounts.

** Rates may be adjusted once approved by the Board of Trust. Student Health Insurance Fees are automatically waived for international learners who reside outside of the United States for the duration of the program.

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Financial Aid

U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are admitted to the online MLS program are eligible to apply for federal financial aid, including federal student loans. To apply for federal student loans for the online MLS program, you will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

FAFSA School Code for Vanderbilt University: 003535.

For the online MLS program, the FAFSA is due one month prior to your term’s program start date. If you are unable to meet this deadline, you have two options:

1. Pay for the term bill out of pocket when it comes due and receive a reimbursement at a later date
2. Defer admission until the next program start date

Please note that the summer semester is included at the end of the prior academic year. Be sure to complete the correct FAFSA. You must renew the FAFSA each aid year. Federal loans are subject to changes mandated by Congress, which may occur during your MLS enrollment.

For more information about financial aid, review the Types of Assistance Available page.

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Military & Veteran Benefits

Eligible veterans can receive VA educational benefits for each term enrolled in the MLS program. Veterans who are 100% eligible under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® will receive the Yellow Ribbon match from Vanderbilt Law School, when applicable. Learn more about veterans education benefits.

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Employer Discounts, Tuition Reimbursement & Scholarships

The Vanderbilt University Law School partners with a broad range of employers through the AllCampus Workplace Network to offer eligible students a 3% tuition discount for the Online MLS program. To learn more about discount eligibility, speak with an enrollment specialist.

Many employers also offer their own tuition assistance, and you may have access to educational benefits or a professional development fund. To explore your options, we encourage you to speak with your employer about using workplace benefits to fund your degree.

You may be looking for additional external ways to finance your MLS degree. We encourage you to use Fastweb as a starting place to find available scholarships.

Effective Fall 2026: New scholarship programs:*

• Vanderbilt Alumni Scholarship: 20 percent tuition scholarship for anyone who is an alumnus of any Vanderbilt program (received a degree, not just enrolled) for up to one class per semester. Submit VU transcript for automatic awarding.
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center Scholarship: 20 percent tuition scholarship for any VUMC employee for up to one class per semester. Scholarship must be renewed each semester ahead of the first day of class.

*Scholarships cannot be combined with each other, and cannot be additive to the VU employee scholarship.

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Vanderbilt Employee Tuition Assistance

Vanderbilt University staff who are eligible for the VU employee tuition benefit can use the benefit to receive 70 percent off the cost of tuition for one three-hour credit course per semester. Please contact EdAssist customer service at 844-266-1532 or begin a live chat on the EdAssist website if you are a VU staff member who needs assistance.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center staff who are eligible for the VUMC employee tuition benefit can use the benefit to receive 70 percent off the cost of tuition for one three-hour credit course per semester. Please contact EdAssist customer service at 877-348-0758 or begin a live chat on the EdAssist website if you are a VUMC staff member who needs assistance.

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Tuition Payment

The Vanderbilt Office of Student Accounts will send an e-bill to students the first of each month. Tuition is due at the end of that month. Once enrolled in courses, students can access these e-bills via the YES (Your Enrollment Services) billing portal. Vanderbilt University has partnered with Convera and Flywire to offer students and families a more streamlined way to make international payments through foreign wire transfers. Please see the International Applicants page for more details.

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Payment Plans

Payers have multiple payment options:

Option 1: Direct Payment

Pay tuition, fees, and all other charges directly to the University as stated on the bill you will receive prior to the beginning of each semester. Payment for the Fall Semester will be due August 31 and payment for the Spring Semester will be due December 31. In addition to traditional payment options, you may also pay electronically. You may use either a checking/savings account or a credit/debit card. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are accepted. Note that there is a card processing fee associated with all credit/debit card transactions. International wires are also accepted online.

As a reminder, the Transact online payment system is down for maintenance at 6 p.m. CST the last day of each month and will then reopen at 6 a.m. the next business day.

Option 2: Vandy Plan available through Transact

Enrollment in the Vandy Plan (an interest-free monthly payment option) for the Fall semester opens May 1, and enrollment for the Spring semester opens October 1. There is no Vandy Plan for the Summer semester.

The Vandy Plan allows you to spread your Fall or Spring balance into five manageable, interest-free payments. This option is designed as a financial tool to help you budget over time—before the start of the term—rather than paying your full balance at once. The Vandy Plan is available within Vanderbilt’s billing and payment portal.

At a Glance:

• Pre-payment budget-based tool
• 5 fixed monthly payments per semester
• Payments are due on the 15th of each month
• No interest charges
• $50 enrollment fee per plan
• Available for Fall and Spring terms only (not Summer)

If you would like to pay your education expenses monthly, use the Vandy Plan offered by our partner, Transact. The payment plan is available for a small enrollment fee and includes personal account service, automated account information 24 hours a day, and access to your account through their web site. The payment plan can be paid online by ACH payment or by credit/debit card. Note that there is a card processing fee associated with all credit/debit card transactions. The deadline to enroll in the Interest-Free Monthly Payment Option is August 31 for the Fall semester (payments begin May 15) and December 31 for the Spring semester (payments begin October 15).

Students: To enroll, please follow these simple instructions.

• Log into your YES Landing Page and click “Billing Portal”.
• On your account page, click the link under Vandy Plans.
• Enter the information that is requested and click “Submit”.

Other Payers: To enroll, please follow these simple instructions.

• Log into Transact.
• On the student account page, click the link under Vandy Plans.
• Enter the information that is requested and click “Submit”.

Financial Aid

University Tuition Scholarships are service-free awards that pay all or part of tuition costs. The following graduate awards are normally supplemented by a full University Tuition Scholarship, which usually includes student health insurance coverage: University Fellowships, Graduate Teaching Assistantships, Graduate Research Assistantships, Traineeships, and Teacher Training Awards.

Some families may need more help in meeting their education expenses. For those needing additional assistance, please contact the Vanderbilt University Office of Student Financial Aid at 615-322-3591 . Counselors have been specially trained to address your needs with various grants, loans (student or parent) and work programs.

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Withdrawal and Refund Policy

University policy for the refund of tuition charges provides a percentage refund based on the time of withdrawal. Students who withdraw officially or are dismissed from the university for any reason may be entitled to a partial refund. Fees are nonrefundable. The refund schedules may be viewed at vanderbilt.edu/stuaccts.

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Online Student Services & Student Health Fees
(per enrolled student)

Online Student Health Fee, Fall and Spring: $130; Summer: $130

Online Student Services Fee: $69

The Vanderbilt Online Student Services & Student Health Fees will be effective beginning the academic year 2022–2023 (August 2022). The fees apply to students enrolled in online degree programs (excluding programs who partner exclusively with an external vendor managing student services) that were launched after July 1, 2022. All students registered in one of these programs are assessed the Online Student Services & Student Health Fees, which are set by the Vanderbilt Board of Trust and billed through the Office of Student Accounts. These fees are mandatory and cannot be removed or waived. The summer Online Student Services fee & Student Health Fees are determined during the spring semester and are billed only if you are enrolled in courses during that semester.

The Online Student Services & Student Health Fees provide financial support, based on the University’s needs, for student co-curricular interests, programs, and student support services and resources, including the expansion of resources and services in support of student health and wellbeing.

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