Scholarships
Vanderbilt Law School awards merit-based scholarships to LL.M. students each year. Recipients are identified during the selection process and notified after admission to the program. All admitted candidates are considered for scholarship awards. There is no application form required in order to be considered for a scholarship award. In addition to the merit-based scholarship awards, we also offer the partnership scholarships below.
Vanderbilt Law Partner Scholarships
External Funding Sources for LL.M. Students
Navigating the costs of an LL.M. requires looking beyond institutional aid. A targeted approach involves leveraging specialized databases, government programs, and international fellowships depending on your background and specialization. Below are resources to help you explore opportunities for funding.
Scholarship Search Engines
Major International Fellowships & Grants
Home Country & Government Funding
Many international LL.M. students receive funding from sources in their home countries. Applicants are encouraged to explore:
- Government-sponsored scholarship programs
- Employer sponsorship
- National education funds
- International fellowship programs such as the Fulbright Program
- Rotary Foundation Grants
Scholarships for Women
Scholarships by Country
Europe
- American-Scandinavian Foundation
- ASLA-ALMA Joint Scholarship
- Bakala Foundation Scholarship
- Belgian American Educational Foundation
- Brain Capital Master Education Fund
- E-Fellows
- Fondo Per Studenti Italiani
- Fundación La Caixa Postgraduate Abroad
- Fundación Rafael Del Pino Excellence Scholarships
- German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
- Kellner Family Foundation
- Netherland-America Foundation Study Loan Program
- Norway-American Association (NORAM)
- P.J.C. Lindfors Legal Studies Fund
- Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York
- Sophia Nadace
- Sweden-America Foundation
- TEV Scholarships
- Thanks to Scandinavia
- WilWeg
- WorldWideStudies Scholarship Program
North America
- Becas MOB
- Canadian Bar Association Viscount Bennett Fellowship
- Consejo Nacional De Humanidades Ciencias Y Tecnologías (CONAHCYT)
- FUNED
- Government of Canada
- Law Society of British Columbia Scholarship for Graduate Legal Studies
- Native Forward Scholars Fund
- OAS Academic Scholarship Program
- Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
Loans
Prodigy Finance offers a loan for LL.M. students studying in the U.S. and accepts loan applications from Vanderbilt LL.M. students. For information on the Prodigy loan for international LL.M. students, please visit the website.
2026-27 Estimated Cost of Attendance
Law schools' living expense estimates are not tied to cost-of-living differences between locations, and they are not necessarily based on comparable living situations. This means that schools with lower living expense estimates do not necessarily cost less to attend. To learn more about comparing living expenses between schools, click here.
| Fee | Budget | Description |
|---|---|---|
| VU Student Services Fee | $694 | Recreation/Wellness Center and other University services and activities. |
| Law School Programming Fee | $700 | Student programming, technology, professional development, and co-curricular engagement. |
| Transcript Fee | $100 | One-time fee billed fall semester only. |
| Student Health Fee | $906 | Expanded access to student health care and wellness resources, including Telehealth care options, focusing on mental and physical health, nutrition, and sleep. Enhanced satellite services with multiple care locations across campus. |
| Books and supplies | $500 | Buy online or used for less. |
| Housing | $16,128 | $1,781 per month. Studio or shared multi-bedroom typically less. |
| Food | $7,714 | $3,744 per semester. |
| Personal /miscellaneous* | $6,162 | For personal expenses not itemized elsewhere. Includes University Student Health Insurance plan fee. |
| Transportation | $1,526 | |
| Tuition | $79,116 | |
| Total estimated cost | $113,522 | Total cost varies by student. Living expenses will differ based on personal choices and circumstances. Scholarships are credited to student accounts. |
Does not include $1,000 tuition for the optional Summer English for Legal Purposes (SELP) course.
Includes $4,484 for VU Student Health Insurance plan. One-year policy. Billed 1/2 in fall and 1/2 in spring.
Tuition payments
Tuition for the academic year is payable in two equal installments, at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. In addition to tuition, fees include:
- A nonrefundable seat deposit (matriculation fee: $1,000) when you accept admission, which is credited toward the fall semester bill
- Student health insurance through Vanderbilt
- VU Student Services Fee Annual activities and recreation fee
- Law School Programming Fee
- Student Health Fee
- One-time transcript fee ($100) billed in fall semester only