ASPIRE: Antiracist Scholarship FAQs

ASPIRE (Antiracist Scholars for Progress, Innovation, and Racial Equity) aims to educate and train a new generation of antiracist legal professionals. This program provides a full-tuition scholarship for all three years to a select number of students who have demonstrated a commitment to antiracism, social justice, and racial equity.

In addition to the full-tuition scholarship, ASPIRE scholars are expected to participate in cohort training, team-building around antiracism, and general leadership within the BU Law community. Recipients will:

• Participate in a semester-long ASPIRE-focused antiracist lawyering experiential opportunity;
• Receive a dedicated BU Law faculty mentor;
• Participate in antiracist trainings and programming;
• Participate in cohort cohesion by attending meetings and gatherings organized for this purpose;
• Engage in self-reflection and exploration of professional identity formation;
• Help to sustain the continued success of the ASPIRE program by sharing their experiences with current and future ASPIRE partners;
• Help recruit the next cohort of ASPIRE scholars; and
• Join a diverse cohort of hard-working, creative students who are eager to collaborate on antiracist policy change and societal transformation in legal education, the legal profession, and broader society.

To apply for the ASPIRE: Antiracist Scholarship applicants must submit their application and response to the ASPIRE essay prompts by January 5, 2025.

Yes. In addition to the general application requirements, applicants who apply for the ASPIRE scholarship must submit an essay answering the following two-part prompt:

(1) What does antiracism mean to you, and how have your life experiences shaped your commitment to antiracism? In your answer, in addition to professional experiences (if any) please draw from your lived experiences, whether as a member of an underrepresented or marginalized group, as an advocate, and/or as an ally. (Word limit: 350 words)

(2) How do you envision using your antiracist education and training in your legal career, whether it be in the private, governmental, or public interest sectors? (Word limit: 250 words)

To be considered for the ASPIRE scholarship applicants must complete their application by January 5, 2025.

Applicants will be notified on a rolling basis.

Applicants who apply for the ASPIRE scholarship and are not selected will have their applications rolled over into the regular decision applicant pool for consideration for admission and merit scholarship.

Yes. Select candidates will be invited to interview.

We invite all interested applicants to apply. Qualified applicants will have relevant, lived or direct, experience confronting racism. They may desire to work in the public sector, governmental, or private sectors.

Top candidates for the ASPIRE scholarship will present application materials that show a dedicated commitment to antiracism, social justice, and racial equity.

ASPIRE scholarship recipients will:

• Participate in a semester-long ASPIRE-focused antiracist lawyering experiential opportunity;
• Receive a dedicated BU Law faculty mentor;
• Participate in antiracist trainings and programming;
• Participate in cohort cohesion by attending meetings and gatherings organized for this purpose;
• Engage in self-reflection and exploration of professional identity formation;
• Help to sustain the continued success of the ASPIRE program by sharing their experiences with current and future ASPIRE partners;
• Help recruit the next cohort of ASPIRE scholars; and
• Join a diverse cohort of hard-working, creative students who are eager to collaborate on antiracist policy change and societal transformation in legal education, the legal profession, and broader society.

No. The ASPIRE scholarship is not conditional on maintaining a certain GPA, but recipients must comply with the academic policies and regulations of the School of Law.

Applicants for the ASPIRE scholarship may also apply to the Distinguished Scholars Program provided they meet the Distinguished Scholars application deadline of November 9, 2023.

Applicants for the ASPIRE scholarship may not apply for the BU Bound Program or the Public Interest Scholarship.