Scholarships

Each year, OCU Law awards more than $1 million in scholarships to admitted students. All applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships. No separate application is required.

2022-23

2022-23

While most awards are based on academic excellence and a strong LSAT performance, additional factors such as leadership, service, diversity, work experience and financial need are considered.

Sumners Scholarship

We are one of only two law schools in the country to offer the prestigious Sumners Scholarship, awarded to high-achieving students who have a demonstrable commitment to leadership and service. The scholarship includes full tuition, full fees, and a stipend for book and living expenses.

Application Deadline: February 20

To receive consideration, students must be admitted to the law school and should complete and submit the Sumners Scholarship application by February 20. If you are interested in applying for a Sumners Scholarship, you must complete the SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION. Once on the website, click “Create New Account” to complete the registration process and create your login credentials. The access code for the application is OCU34SS49.

Finalists for this scholarship will be invited to the law school to interview with the Sumners Foundation Board of Trustees in March.

Eligibility

Applicants must be a resident, student, or graduate of a college or university in one of the following states: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Colorado, or New Mexico.

Selection Criteria And Process

Selection is based on academic proficiency, extracurricular achievement, and a demonstrated capacity for public service. All applications are welcome and will be reviewed in February by members of the administration and faculty. Approximately twenty applicants are selected for interviews with Trustees of the Sumners Foundation in April.

Renewal

Sumners Scholarships are renewable awards. Recipients of these awards must be enrolled in the full-time program and maintain a cumulative GPA average in the top one-third of their class and complete continued and ongoing attendance in Sumners Foundation events.

Dean’s Scholarship

The Dean’s Scholarship provides full tuition and fees to select incoming students who have demonstrated academic excellence, achieved a strong LSAT performance, and have a record of leadership and community service.  To qualify, students must have a 159 or higher on the LSAT and a 3.5 cumulative GPA.  Students must have a completed application meeting the LSAT and GPA requirements by February 20.

This scholarship is renewable throughout a recipient’s time in law school so long as the recipient remains in academic and disciplinary good standing with a law school GPA of 2.0 or above.

Full-Time and Part-Time Merit Scholarships

Merit Scholarships provide financial assistance to incoming, enrolled law students who have demonstrated academic excellence at the undergraduate level with a strong performance on the LSAT. These scholarships are renewable throughout a recipient’s time in law school so long as the recipient remains in academic and disciplinary good standing with a law school GPA of 2.0 or above.

Robert H. Henry Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to students who are pursuing a degree in law and have shown an interest or connection to Native American communities and law. Preference is given to enrolled tribal members. The scholarship is made possible by a gift from the Chickasaw Nation and is named after Robert H. Henry, a former dean of the School of Law and president of the University.

Transfer Scholarships

Transfer applicants from ABA-accredited law schools who are in the top ten percent of their class are eligible for up to $10,000 in scholarship awards. All transfer applicants are automatically considered for the scholarship.

Scholarships, Writing Competitions, Fellowships & More

AccessLex Law School Scholarship Databank

Find a comprehensive list of scholarships for incoming and returning law students, and even some that can be used to pay for degrees prior to a J.D. (including bachelor’s and master’s degrees), or towards bar study costs at www.accesslex.org.

Admiralty & Maritime Law Committee (AMLC) of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) 2025 Student Writing Competition

Papers are due on June 16, 2025, and should be in the style of a scholarly newsletter article and no more than 20 pages double-spaced, 12-point Book Antiqua (or similar) font, with footnotes and citations conforming to Bluebook standards. It can be a paper that has been prepared for a journal or class.

The theme is a recent development in admiralty and maritime law. If you need any inspiration for what to write about, there is an optional topic: “How AI and technology advancements are changing marine insurance.” This is entirely optional. 

Grand Prize:

• A Day in Marine Insurance with Gard (North America), Inc. – meet the Gard New York office and present and discuss the winning paper (travel expenses reimbursed up to $750)
• Cash prize of $1,000
• Sponsorship to attend the 2025 ABA TIPS Fall Meeting or 2027 Admiralty Disruption Conference in New Orleans, LA (registration fee waived and travel expenses reimbursed up to $500)
• Publication of the winning paper in the AMLC Newsletter

Second Prize:

• Cash Prize of $500
• Sponsorship to attend the 2025 ABA TIPS Fall Meeting or 2027 Admiralty Disruption
• Publication of the second prize paper in the AMLC Newsletter

Papers can be submitted to Jessica Link Martyn at jmartyn@linkmartyn.com

Diversity Scholarships