Financial Support

The primary goal of the ONU LL.M. Program is to provide young lawyers from transitional countries committed to public service with the benefits of a study program not otherwise available to them for financial reasons.  However, the College of Law also offers the benefits of the program to a limited number of young lawyers with resources to finance all or part of their own education. Below is a description of the program’s levels of financial support.

 

Full Financial Support

 

Highly qualified international attorneys whose experience demonstrates a commitment to, and excellence in, public service and who are accepted to the LL.M. program will be fully supported during their studies.  Tuition and fees, books, room and board, travel, and a monthly stipend will all be provided.  Each year, there is one or two fully funded positions available.  These are highly competitive and require a well-documented record of public service and academic excellence.

 

Tuition Scholarships

 

There is a limited number of full, three-quarter or half-tuition scholarships available for international attorneys who are not accepted to the Program with full financial support.  These students must demonstrate they have financial resources available to cover the additional costs of the Program as a condition for final admission.

 

Outside Funding

 

The program encourages all applicants to seek financial support from their governments, employers, and other organizations which provide resources to support studying democracy and the rule of law.  Applicants should consider applying to competitive United States government-funded programs: 

• Fulbright scholarships, http://fulbright.state.gov/

• Muskie Fellowships for the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, http://www.irex.org/programs/muskie/muskie_info.asp

• IREX/LEAD Fellowship Program for Tajikistan, http://www.irex.org/project/legal-education-and-development-lead-fellowship-program-tajikistan

 

The ONU College of Law is an active participant in these programs.  Other possibilities include:

 

• The Ford Foundation International Fellowship Program, http://www.fordifp.net/

• AAUW International Fellowship, http://www.act.org/aauw/internat/

• P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship, http://www.peointernational.org/peo-projectsphilanthropies

• The Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship Program, http://www.rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYouth/EducationalPrograms/AmbassadorialScholarships/Pages/ridefault.aspx

• PRESTASI Fellowships, Indonesia, http://www.peointernational.org/peo-projectsphilanthropies

• Kosovo American Education Fund Graduate Fellowship Program, http://www.americancouncils.org/program/1o/KAEF/

• Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program for Tanzania, http://www.esrftz.org/ifp/announcements_2011_12.asp

• The Bolashak Program, Kazakhstan, http://www.edu-cip.kz/

• The Algarysh Program, the Republic of Tatarstan, http://www.tatarstan.americancouncilsnetwork.org/

• Post-Graduate Solution's LLM Study Bursaries, http://www.postgrad.com/editorial/bursaries/

 

For general information on scholarships for international students to study in the United States, check the following sites:

 

• International Education Financial Aid, http://www.iefa.org/

• NAFSA, http://www.nafsa.org/students.sec/international_students_2/

 

• EduPASS, http://www.edupass.org/

 

Please note that all these scholarships and fellowships are highly competitive.  Check the websites for deadlines as many of these organizations stop accepting applications in the Fall.

 

Costs

 

Below are the numbers for the current academic year.  The costs will likely increase 3-5 percent for the 2013-14 academic year.

 

LL.M. Tuition 2012-13	$ 43,166
Individual Costs
Technology fee	$ 240
Housing (a two-bedroom fully furnished campus apartment, double occupancy, includes all utilities, a computer, a printer, high speed internet, and cable television)	$ 7,890
Meals (approximately)	$ 3,000
Books    (new; used books available for less)	$ 2,500
Health Insurance (required)	$ 1,108
Personal Expenses (approximately)	$ 2,000
Total Individual Costs	$ 16,730
Total Costs	$ 59,904

 

Additionally, LLM candidates are responsible for obtaining their visas (currently, $160), paying the U.S. government mandated SEVIS fee (currently, $180 for J-1 visa and $200 for F-1 visa applicants), WES evaluation fees (currently, $160), and buying their own tickets to/from the United States.