University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law

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Financial Aid for International Students

The William S. Richardson School of Law has limited financial assistance to offer international students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Outstanding applicants may be eligible for a small amount of scholarship support. Additionally, continuing students are eligible to apply for a select number of internal scholarships geared towards international students.

To cover the costs of tuition and other living expenses, we encourage international students to seek external funding sources, including private loans and scholarships. A list of resources is provided below.

Private Loans

International students may be eligible for private loans if they have a cosigner who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. The cosigner must have lived in the United States for the past two years and must have good credit (cosigners may visit www.annualcreditreport.com(link is external) for a free annual credit report).

For private educational loan programs, it the student’s responsibility to secure an eligible cosigner, and it is recommended to do so as soon as possible. Students should submit applications for private loans well in advance of planned registration at the law school so they can determine whether their cosigner meets the lender’s credit criteria.

Check with your private loan lender to find out if a U.S. Social Security Number (SSN) is required of the student or only of the cosigner at the time of application. For some loan programs, applicants may need to begin the SSN application process before the start of the academic year. International students should note that they cannot obtain a U.S. Social Security Number unless they are currently living in the United States.

Currently, the following lenders offer private loans for international students who have cosigners:

•        PNC Bank

•        Sallie Mae

•        Charter One

•        Wells Fargo

•        Discover

•        Citizens Bank

To compare private loans, please visit the International Education Financial Aid(link is external) website.

External Funding Sources

While we are unable to provide comprehensive funding that covers full tuition costs or living expenses, we encourage applicants to seek scholarships and additional funding in their home countries and in the United States.  Some outside sources of funding are listed below: