ABA Journal, New Financial Aid Rules Didn’t Hurt Incoming Law Class Size:

The much-anticipated crisis brought on by changes in federal regulations regarding financial aid has not manifested—yet.

That’s the conclusion of law deans contacted by the ABA Journal as well as officials at the Law School Admission Council and the AccessLex Institute. …

Law deans contacted by the ABA Journal from Suffolk University Law School, St. Mary’s University School of Law, Quinnipiac University School of Law, Vermont Law and Graduate School, the University of California at Irvine School of Law, Widener University Delaware Law School, Santa Clara University School of Law and University of Utah S.J. Quinney School of Law each said their admissions cycle was robust and had little to no melt.

“I’m surprised,” says Christopher P. Chapman, AccessLex Institute president and CEO.

While noting that data is not in to make a solid assessment on why this has happened, many of the people who spoke to the Journal say this year’s law school application boom could be masking potential issues with financial aid. Applications for fall 2026 were up 10.8% over last year and 35.5% over two years ago, according to the Law School Admission Council.

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