FLEX Program

An entering 1L flex student is permitted to take one less mandatory 1L doctrinal course during the 1L Fall (Torts) and 1L Spring (Criminal Law) semesters, for a total of 23 credits. As a condition of being a flex 1L, these courses must be taken in the Summer following the 1L academic year, if offered. If not offered in the summer, the classes must be taken in the first semester offered without exception. These 1L required classes must be enrolled in before any 2L required or elective classes will be permitted, to ensure the timely completion of the 1L curriculum.

A “flex student” must take at least 9 credits in any fall or spring semester after the 1L year. A student may be a “flex” student only with approval from either the Director of Admissions or the Director of Law Student Support Services.

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What the FLEX Program Is — and What It Is Not

What It Is

In addition to the very specific 1L reduction in mandatory classes (Torts and Criminal Law), the Flex program allows the student to enroll in 9 credits per semester and still be considered a full-time student, eligible to graduate in three years by taking summer classes.

The costs are different, because the student is not taking advantage of the flat billing by choosing to take fewer classes per semester, requiring additional semesters.

What It Is Not

Flex is not a part-time program. Flex is not a nighttime program. Students are not guaranteed that mandatory classes, nor any elective classes that they wish to take, will be available to fit their personal schedules.

The Flex program is a reduced course load requirement only. Flex also does not provide preference in registration and the availability of classes. Flex students will register in the same manner and based upon the same priority calculations as all other J.D. students. Your work/home schedule will need to accommodate your school schedule, and choosing electives may be more difficult due to the limited number of classes.

Additional Financial Cost of Being a Flex Student

  1. St. Thomas University College of Law uses a Flat Billing system (12-18 credits).
  2. Non-flex students are not required to take summer classes to graduate in three years.
  3. Scholarship awards are for Fall and Spring semesters only.

Since flex students are necessarily attending more semesters and don’t take advantage of the flat-billing system, which charges the same amount for 12-18 credits in a semester, they will pay more over time to complete the program.

Pro-Rated Scholarship Awards

A “flex student” taking less than 11.5/12 credits in the Fall or Spring semester will have the award pro-rated on a per-credit basis. For example, a student with a Merit Scholarship of $10,000 for the Fall semester (based on full-time enrollment) enrolled in 9 credits will receive an award in the amount of $7,500.00 ($10,000/12 x 9). All awards are made on a yearly basis for the Fall and Spring semesters only.

Incoming and Upper-Level Scholarship Program for Flex Students

Like all students, Flex students may be awarded incoming merit scholarships. Flex students who rank in the top 25% of their class after the first academic year can earn awards ranging from $15,000 to $40,000, depending on academic performance. These awards are not in addition to your incoming scholarship but will replace your original award if it is higher than your incoming scholarship. If your incoming merit scholarship exceeds the amount that you would be eligible for based upon the year-end class ranking, your original incoming scholarship will remain in effect for both the 2L and 3L years, subject only to you remaining in good standing (> 2.0 GPA).

To be eligible to receive this scholarship, Flex students must complete the 1L curriculum and maintain the required ranking over the summer between the 1L and 2L year. This scholarship will not be awarded unless all 1L curriculum has been completed prior to the beginning of the Fall semester of the 2L academic year.

1L Flex Curriculum

Fall

  • Civil Procedure (4)
  • Contracts (4)
  • Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research (3)
  • Legal Skills (.5)

Spring

  • Constitutional Law (4)
  • Property (4)
  • Legal Skills (.5)
  • Advanced Legal Research and Writing {S} (3)

Summer (if offered)

  • Criminal Law (3)
  • Torts (3)

Torts and Criminal Law must be taken in the Summer following the 1L academic year, if offered. If not offered in the summer, these classes must be taken in the first semester offered, without exception.

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