Overview

The Summer Grants Program is designed to ease the financial burden of University of Iowa law students working in unpaid or low paid summer positions. There are several grants available for summer.  A student need only submit one Summer Grant Application, and if eligible, will be considered for multiple grants.  

The majority of the grants are for students volunteering over the summer for a public interest non-profit organization or government agency (including in judicial chambers).  Public interest agencies include IRS Code 501(c)(3) entities, government agencies, and advocacy groups.

Applicants must be:

•  a 1L or 2L JD student, including joint degree students with remaining semesters for their JD degree,
• in good standing, and
• must have secured and accepted an internship. 

$1,000 grants will be awarded on a rolling basis starting approximately the end of February.  Awards are based on responses to the application, subject to the availability of funds, and will be granted until funds are depleted.  Specialized grants, many of which exceed $1000, are also available and awarded based on submission of a short essay.

The deadline to apply for specialized grants is April 1, 2026.  Recipients of a specialized grant will be awarded the dollar amount associated with the grant in lieu of any initial award, and notifications of specialized awards will be sent in mid-April.