MEMPHIS LAW LOWERS TUITION BY 25% FOR OUT-OF-STATE STUDENTS
The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys has lowered out-of-state student tuition by 25%, making it one of the most affordable law schools in the country*. The new tuition structure will take effect in August of 2020.
The law school tuition reduction, which caps out-of-state tuition at the 11 credit hours rate and results in the 25% reduction for tuition and fees at the 15-hour rate, was approved by the University of Memphis Board of Trustees in their December 4th meeting.
The decision puts out-of-state tuition and fees at $12,004 per semester, the most affordable out-of-state law school tuition in Tennessee and in the TOP 5 for most affordable out-of-state law school tuition in the entire country. Additionally, Memphis Law's new out-of-state tuition comes in as more affordable than the IN-STATE tuition of 80% of all law schools in the country, meaning that no matter where a prospective student is from, Memphis Law is likely one of the most affordable law schools for them to attend. In fact, there are 22 states where it is more expensive for a student to attend their in-state law school, rather than pay Memphis Law's more affordable out-of-state tuition.
"We have always been seen as a best value law school for students who are interested
in getting a high-quality legal education, at a lower cost, while living in a city
with an extremely affordable cost-of-living," said Memphis Law Dean Katharine T. Schaffzin.
"But this 25% reduction in our out-of-state tuition puts us on the map for any prospective
student in the nation looking to attend law school, take on less debt, live in an
exciting and extremely affordable city, and ultimately set themselves up for a successful
legal career."
An important, but often overlooked, benefit of this national level of affordability
is what it means to first-generation college students.
A great deal of recent research has showcased the many barriers to entry that first-generation college students face when it comes to attaining their college education. Having an extremely high out-of-state tuition results in many of these first-generation students not even considering a school, due to it seeming out of reach. With it's new Top 5 most affordable out-of-state tuition, Memphis Law is now in a position to become an immediate and impossible to overlook law school option for this particular demographic, which also happens to be a focus of research for Dean Schaffzin.
"Millennials and Generation Z will produce more first-generation college graduates
than higher education has historically seen. First-gen graduates tend to have less
access to educational advice than their peers, which presents a distinct disadvantage
when making decisions about post-graduate studies," said Dean Schaffzin. "Law school
tuition discounting practices only hide the ball from these potential students, making
a legal career seem farther out of reach than it is. The University of Memphis has
lowered out-of-state tuition to the actual cost of the program. Potential applicants
can knowledgeably determine before they apply if they can afford to attend our law
school. They can then make more informed financial planning decisions and minimize
their educational debt."
*Information and comparisons compiled using most recent ABA 509 reports from accredited
law schools in the U.S.