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What does the GI Bill cover at HLS?

The GI Bill combined with the HLS Yellow Ribbon Program covers:

• 100% tuition
• Your complete health insurance.  It does not cover health insurance for spouses or dependents.  The Harvard health insurance is through Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO.  Some AFA members have been able to opt for surgeries and other procedures through specific doctors at Mass General Hospital.
• A one-time textbook/supplies stipend
• Your monthly tax-free Military Housing Allowance, or MHA payment (equivalent to the E-5 With Dependents BAH Rate).
• These payments occur only while classes are ongoing, meaning you will receive pro-rated payments in September, December, January, and May and no payments in June, July, or August. 
• If you do not have 100% of GI Bill eligibility, the monthly payment will be pro-rated accordingly. For example, if you are 60% eligible, you will receive 60% of the allowance.
• Please also note that, in order to receive your MHA payment, the VA must recognize that you are no longer on active duty. In the past, some members who left active duty immediately prior to starting their 1L year were not automatically enrolled in the monthly MHA payment and had to receive backpay 2-3 months into the year. Please reach out to [email protected] if you have questions regarding your eligibility, especially if you were still on active duty in the spring/summer prior to your 1L year!

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When will I receive my first BAH payment?

If you’re eligible for BAH, you should receive your first BAH deposit around August 31 / September 1.  You will likely move into your apartment between August 1 – 15 to prepare for 1L orientation, we recommend that you budget now for that first month of rent.

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Will I receive BAH assistance continuously throughout the academic year?

Your BAH assistance is pro-rated every month based on the number of days that Harvard says that you’re enrolled in classes. So in a mid-semester month like November, you will receive BAH for the full month. However, in December, you will receive a pro-rated BAH for approximately 16-17 days out of the month, because the fall semester ends mid-month.

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How does Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Work?

VR&E (formerly known as Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment), or Chapter 31, is a VA sponsored program that assists veterans with a service-connected disability to find meaningful employment. Veterans can get approved for law school funding (both tuition and 100% MHA) through this program as well.

To apply for VR&E, applicants must not have received a dishonorable discharge and have a service-connected disability rating of at least 10% from the VA. Unlike the G.I. Bill, which is guaranteed by meeting a service time commitment, VR&E is a selective program that requires veterans to apply and get approved by a counselor. It is also possible, and common, for an applicant to start HLS on the G.I. Bill and switch over to VR&E during their time in school.

An applicant may choose to apply for VR&E for multiple reasons.

First, if an applicant does not have 100% G.I. Bill benefits. This happens often when service academy graduates come to HLS with less than eight years of total service, or if someone has already used their G.I. Bill for undergrad. If approved, VR&E will work AS IF the veteran has 100% G.I. Bill. Meaning they will get full tuition and full MHA payment (equivalent to the E-5 with Dependents BAH Rate).

Second, VR&E offers some flexibility and personalization that the G.I. Bill does not. Working with a VR&E counselor can help pay for costs like computers and other implements that may be connected to your disability.

Finally, VR&E allows an applicant to preserve their G.I. Bill benefits. If an applicant desires to pass their G.I. Bill benefits to their dependents, or use them down the road for different schooling, VR&E grants this flexibility.

Helpful Links:

VR&E Info Page (VA) https://www.va.gov/careers-employment/vocational-rehabilitation/

VR&E for Law School (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MwpfZP7EKk

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What are the term dates and exam dates?

The HLS Academic Calendar can be found here.
The tentative exam schedule can be found here (scroll down to “Exam Schedules”).

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How do I know what textbooks to buy?

It’s very frustrating when the first day of class inches closer but your professors still haven’t posted their syllabi!  Luckily, the textbook lists are posted well in advance on the Harvard Law COOP website.

Just fill out your course information (found on helios) and the COOP website will generate a list of required textbooks.  Pro tip: copy the ISBN numbers from the COOP website and compare prices on Amazon or other online bookstores.

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Should I buy new or used textbooks?  Should I rent?

My first year I bought all new textbooks because I thought I’d be distracted by a previous student’s highlighting and I thought I’d want to keep the textbooks.  Since then, I’ve bought used textbooks, and looked for copies that had minimal highlighting.  This has saved me a LOT of money.

I’ve also found that there was little point to keeping textbooks because when you study for the Bar Exam you will get all new study guides and materials that are specifically crafted for those exams.  I’ve sold my textbooks and found the “buy used, sell used” system was better monetarily than renting textbooks.

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Where can I find outlines?

Outlines can be found on HLSIntel and TooDope (please note, you’ll need a Harvard email account to access TooDope).

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Where can I find old exams?

Old exam questions can be found here (scroll down to “Exam Question Archives”).
Student answers to old exams (with self-reported grades attached) can be found on HLSIntel or TooDope.

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What format are exams in?

1L exams are either 3 hours or 8 hours long; they are currently all administered at home using Exam4 software on personal laptops.  Exams generally consist of scenario-based, “issue spotter” essay questions and policy/theme/historical/big picture analysis questions.

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When is the Harvard Law Review competition?

The Harvard Law Review is one of many fantastic opportunities for community, intellectual growth, and legal experience on campus.  We are proud to have a veteran on HLR this year and encourage all of you to take the “write-on” competition during 1L spring!  For planning purposes (so you don’t schedule any summer drill during it, like some of us did last year), the competition usually starts on the Saturday after 1L spring exam period ends (see Academic Calendar above); you will pick up all materials between 10 am and 12 pm and drop them off the following Saturday between 10 am and 12 pm.

Pro tip: plan to keep this week absolutely free and stay in Cambridge (the dorms stay open for students taking the competition)!