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Seton Hall University to Extend Tuition Reduction Initiative to Law School

Seton Hall Law School reduces tuition by more than 50% for eligible students, offering ‘A Private Legal Education at a Public School Price’

Newark, NJ – Seton Hall University has announced that it will extend its widely acclaimed merit-based tuition reduction program to its School of Law, reducing tuition by over 50% for eligible students. The tuition cuts for undergraduate students at Seton Hall University went into effect in 2012 and were recently extended for the 2013-14 academic year. The University will now extend the program further, offering “a private legal education at a public school price” to eligible incoming students at Seton Hall Law School, the only private law school in New Jersey.

Dr. Gabriel Esteban, President of Seton Hall University, said “Similar to the program for undergraduate study, this initiative reflects Seton Hall’s commitment to serving our community. It provides access to a high-quality private education at a cost comparable to a public institution.”

For eligible incoming full-time first-year students, tuition at Seton Hall Law School will be reduced in the 2013-14 academic year to $22,330.

“The legal industry is undergoing substantial change,” said Patrick E. Hobbs, Law School Dean, “and for those who choose law, we have a duty to respond in a meaningful way – making legal education more practice oriented and employment focused as well as more affordable. Our Legal Practice Curriculum, numerous clinics, pro bono programs and comprehensive intern and externship programs address the first concerns; this tuition cut will help to answer the next, making Seton Hall Law School more affordable for those who wish to attend.”

Gisele Joachim, Dean of Enrollment Management, added, “Extending the University’s tuition reduction program to our Law School helps lend clarity and transparency to merit-based financial aid and the process of financing a legal education. We believe it’s critically important to share as much information as possible with our students about the economic drivers of a legal education: tuition, financial aid and employment outcomes. In this instance, the tuition reduction program is quite simple: admitted students who meet our eligibility criteria automatically receive the reduction. And if they meet our criteria for renewal, they will receive that tuition reduction until they graduate. ”

Program specifics include the following:

§  To qualify for this tuition discount, students must have an LSAT score of 158 and higher and an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher;

§  Students who apply to Seton Hall Law and meet the academic criteria will automatically receive this tuition rate reduction;

§  Open to first-time, first-year full-time or part-time students entering Seton Hall Law in Fall 2013;

§  This program is open to students from all states; and

§  Students may also be eligible for additional merit and/or need-based financial aid.

To learn more about how Seton Hall Law makes a private legal education available at a public school price, visit: http://law.shu.edu/tuitionreduction

A 158 LSAT and a 3.5 GPA are the current 1L class medians, so in other words current applicants who simply hit both of last year's medians automatically receive a 53% discount off sticker tuition ($47,330). Sticker cost of attendance is a startling $69,916 per year. (Fully debt financing a Seton Hall law degree will, assuming annual 3.5% increases in COA, produce a debt load at repayment of $259,299).

I think it's fair to say that at this point prospective law school applicants should treat sticker tuition prices as they might treat the advertised price of a collection of ABBA CDs at a yard sale.