Big Spender: Paying for the Bar Exam

Everyone knows that this is an expensive profession.  Getting into law school costs money; being in law school costs money; and being admitted into the bar costs a lot of money.  Aside from paying for the bar application ($500+), you also have to pay for a prep course ($1000+) and it’s strongly encouraged you don’t work during this time.  Obvi, this is super easy because we all are trust-fund babies that survive on light and air so we don’t have to worry about rent, food, or bills.  :/

Ok so actually not so easy.  I remember the last semester of law school just feeling this constant pressure of always thinking, “how are we going to pay for all of this?!”  I was very fortunate to be married because my husband had a full time job.  However, it was an entry-level job that had no room for salary growth, thanks to the recession, and I had been supplementing our income with a small, but steady, part-time work-study that I would no longer be eligible for after graduation.  So while his job allowed me to study without worrying about rent and food; I still felt the added guilt about having to pay thousands of dollars for the course and exam.  On top of the guilt, I felt anxious and fearful about failing because we could not have afforded to do this a second round.  It was not fun.

Many may not have the benefit of having a partner to help offset the costs, but regardless it is possible to pay for all these costs.  It’s not easy or pretty, but it’s possible.  For those getting ready to face the hurdle, here are some steps to consider taking to supplement your finances:

one. Budget. I don’t mean that having a budget will help you pay for everything.  Rather, make a budget to determine just how much money you’ll need per month to survive.  This will give you a realistic picture of what you need to save/earn.  More importantly, the sooner you do this the sooner you’ll see where you’re spending disposable income that you can perhaps start to save instead of spend.

two. Search for free money.  Look  to see if there are any fellowships and scholarships available that will help offset costs.   If you were able to secure a job post-bar, the first thing is to determine if they help pay some of the costs associated with the bar exam.  Otherwise, start researching to see if there are local bar associations/programs attached to your school that provide scholarships, stipends, or loans to students  who are studying for the bar.

three. Borrow.  What’s a little more debt to reach your goal?  I don’t mean to sound flippant because debt isn’t a joke and it can cripple us, but if all that stands between you and your law license is another small loan then do your due diligence and research the best options to see what you qualify for and what you can afford.  Moment of truth–we paid for my BarBri course by opening a new credit card.  Do I wish we hadn’t had to do this?  Of course!  Of course I wish I had had a couple thousand dollars in my savings that I could use, but that just wasn’t the case.  Instead, we opted to apply for a credit card that had a low interest rate and we were vigilant about paying it off as soon as possible.

four. Ask for help.  One of our biggest negative human attributes is our dislike in asking for help.  We want to show that we’re capable, independent, and smart enough to do it all on our own.  Besides no one likes being beholden to another person, right?  I’m telling you, if all that stands between your law license is swallowing your pride and asking family, friends, or even strangers for help then consider it.  In my case, I could somewhat comfortably afford life during the bar exam, but it was only three years prior that I couldn’t afford the $1000 deposit for school.  I swallowed my pride and reached out to my estranged father to ask for help—something I thought I’d never have to do, but I’m glad I did because (aside from jump-starting our relationship) I was able to afford to pay for my seat to start law school.

I know this is an unpopular stance, and many think if you can’t afford to get into this club, then you have no business asking for help to get admitted.  But I imagine people that judge the means people take to achieve their dreams are people that didn’t have to work as hard to achieve theirs.  Besides other peoples’ opinions don’t matter when it comes to achieving your goals.

So those are some not-so-pretty ways to afford the Bar.  How did everyone else afford their life during the bar exam?