Santa Clara Law Launches Groundbreaking “PLEDGE Scholarship” for Fall 2026 Incoming Students
Guaranteed scholarship aims to offset recent federal loan changes to ensure that Santa Clara’s legal education will be accessible and affordable to all.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 17, 2025—Santa Clara University School of Law has introduced a groundbreaking new “PLEDGE Scholarship” to be offered to all incoming first-year students joining its J.D. programs in fall 2026.
The PLEDGE Scholarship will be awarded as a renewable, guaranteed $16,000 tuition scholarship to every full-time student in next year’s incoming class, and $12,500 to those in the school’s Flex J.D. program. The PLEDGE Scholarship was designed to ensure that next year’s incoming class has access to the funds they need to cover the cost of tuition for Santa Clara Law despite the new federal loan limits.
As a result, every incoming Santa Clara Law student will be empowered to afford the full cost of tuition for their legal education through a combination of the scholarship and the remaining federal loans available to them.
Over and above this guaranteed PLEDGE Scholarship, all incoming students also will be automatically considered for additional merit-based aid under the law school’s existing financial assistance program, which can help cover indirect costs.
“The PLEDGE Scholarship is more than a financial award. It’s a promise Santa Clara Law is making to help relieve next year’s students from the kind of financial pressure that might otherwise preclude them from pursuing rewarding legal careers of great prominence and purpose,” said Michael J. Kaufman, dean of the law school. “This new commitment advances our mission to empower the next class of exceptional Santa Clara lawyers through meaningful support, grounded in our Jesuit values of access, opportunity, innovation, academic excellence, and service to the greater good.”
This scholarship ensures that all of Santa Clara Law’s incoming students next year, regardless of financial circumstances, will be able to cover any remaining direct costs of their Santa Clara legal education through guaranteed federal loans. The PLEDGE Scholarship exemplifies Santa Clara Law’s leadership in reimagining how premiere law schools like Santa Clara can ensure that their students achieve genuine professional success and fulfillment.
“The PLEDGE Scholarship aligns perfectly with our Jesuit tradition,” said Caitlin Jachimowicz, senior assistant dean for enrollment, strategy, and operations. “We are called to care for the whole person—cura personalis—and that includes ensuring that financial barriers do not unduly burden students while they pursue their educational goals and prevent talented students from pursuing their calling in the law.”
“We’re not just educating future lawyers; we’re building a more just and equitable society,” said Dean Kaufman. “This scholarship is a strategic investment in our extraordinary students and the clients and communities they will go on to serve.”
The PLEDGE Scholarship will be automatically awarded to all students who deposit by the school’s April 15 deadline and who enroll in the fall 2026 incoming class. No separate application will be required. Students also will be automatically considered for additional merit-based aid. For more information about the PLEDGE Scholarship and how to apply to Santa Clara Law, please visit https://law.scu.edu/admissions or contact lawadmissions@scu.edu
About the PLEDGE Scholarship
An acronym for Promising Legal Education Delivering Growth and Excellence, the PLEDGE Scholarship is a pilot program designed to offset the impact of recent repeal of the Graduate Plus federal-loan program, which is effective July 1, 2026. Available currently only to incoming first-year students who matriculate for fall 2026, the guaranteed PLEDGE Scholarships will pay $16,000 toward tuition every year for up to three years for every full-time student, and $12,500 annually for up to four years to those in the school’s Flex J.D. program.
About Santa Clara University School of Law
Santa Clara University School of Law is dedicated to educating lawyers who lead with a commitment to excellence, ethics, and social justice. Santa Clara Law offers students an academically rigorous program including certificates in high-tech, international, public-interest and social-justice, privacy, and sports law, as well as numerous graduate and joint degree options. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Santa Clara Law is nationally distinguished for its faculty engagement, preparation for practice, and top-ranked programs in intellectual property and international law. For more information, see law.scu.edu.
Media Contact
Deborah Lohse | SCU Media Communications | dlohse@scu.edu | 408-554-5121