Institutional Scholarships
UNT Dallas College of Law automatically considers all admitted applicants for a one-time, non-renewable entering student scholarship applied to tuition and fees for a student's first year of enrollment. No awards are made for summer enrollment. Scholarship amounts are based on available funds in a given admissions cycle. Admitted applicants will be notified by the Office of Admissions if selected to receive an entering student scholarship along with instructions on how to accept the award. The following criteria will be considered:
- An applicant's academic record, including previous undergraduate and graduate institutions;
- The socioeconomic background of the applicant while the applicant was an undergraduate, including any change in that background;
- Whether an applicant would be the first generation of the applicant's family to attend or graduate from a law school; and
- The applicant's involvement in community activities and public service.
Donor-Funded Scholarships
For full information regarding the application process for each of these donor-funded scholarships, please contact the College of Law Office of Financial Aid at lawfinancialaid@untdallas.edu or 214-752-5711.
C. Dean and Mollie Davis Law Scholarship Endowment
Established in 2021 through a bequest from the estate of Creswell “Dean” (1932–2020) and Mollie Davis (1936-2020), the Davis’s were longtime supporters of the University of North Texas, UNT Dallas College of Law, and UNT Health Science Center. Mr. Davis, a 1953 graduate of North Texas State College (now University of North Texas) went on to earn his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. He had a lengthy legal career, representing healthcare and insurance organizations for more than 50 years.
Royal Furgeson College of Law Endowed Scholarship
Envisioned and funded in 2017 by many of his former law clerks, family members and friends, this endowed scholarship recognizes the dedicated service of Hon. W. Royal Furgeson as founding dean of the UNT Dallas College of Law from 2013 to 2018. Following his retirement as dean of the law school, Judge Furgeson continues to practice law in Dallas and serves as a member of the UNT Dallas Foundation’s board of directors.
Judge Ken Molberg College of Law Endowed Scholarship
Created in 2018 by colleagues, family and friends of Judge Ken Molberg, a prominent trial lawyer before being elected, and twice re-elected to the 95th Judicial District Court in Dallas County, Texas, this College of Law scholarship has been permanently endowed in his honor. Among other eligibility criteria, applicants must come from blue-collar working-class backgrounds, have ties to organized labor, or plan to specialize in employment law or trial law with the intention of protecting the rights of workers or people of limited means and their families.
Bedford Mentors College of Law Endowed Scholarship
Established in 2019 by Ernest Higginbotham, the founding facilitator of the Judge Louis A. Bedford Mentorship Program at the UNT Dallas College of Law, this scholarship honors the hundreds of dedicated lawyers who have volunteered their time and talents to serve as mentors to our students. Mr. Higginbotham joined the College of Law in 2015, and his 50-plus years of legal experience includes large firm private practice, corporate law department, and much more. He attended Princeton University, graduating with a degree in History. He completed his law degree at the University of Texas School of Law in 1973.
Aaron S. Kaufman College of Law Endowed Scholarship
Endowed in 2022 by Hon. Aaron Kaufman, a longtime Dallas attorney, civil court judge, and current College of Law adjunct professor, this scholarship underscores his belief in the mission of the law school and its outstanding students. Prior to his lengthy legal career in Dallas, Kaufman graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy in 1972. He then went on to attend law school at the University of Texas, completing his J.D. there in 1974 before returning to Dallas to practice law.
L. A. Nelson, Jr. Scholarship
Established in 2010 by Martha Len Nelson (1929–2019) in memory of her husband, the L. A. Nelson, Jr. Scholarship has the distinction of being the first donor-funded endowed scholarship for students attending the UNT Dallas College of Law. Mr. Nelson (1926–2006) entered North Texas State Teachers College (now the University of North Texas) in 1946. He later completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Oklahoma in 1952. From there, he went on to graduate from the University of Texas School of Law in 1955. He practiced law in Denton for more than 50 years.
External Scholarships
External scholarships are offered and administered outside the UNT Dallas College of Law. Here are links to a few scholarship databases specifically for law students, but we also recommend that you conduct your own searches online using your preferred search engine(s):
AccessLex Law School Scholarship Databank
Law School Admission Council (LSAC) – Law School Scholarships
AdmissionsDean.com Scholarship Finder
Scholarships.com Law School / Legal Studies Scholarships
ABA Required Disclosure
In accordance with ABA Standard 509(b)(3) disclosure requirements, UNT Dallas College
of Law does not offer conditional scholarships. (Definition of Conditional Scholarship: A conditional scholarship is any financial
aid award, the retention of which is dependent upon the students maintaining a minimum
grade point average or class standing, other than that ordinarily required to remain
in good academic standing.)