Yale Law School will cover tuition for students from families earning below poverty line

The scholarship program at Yale Law School will cover tuition for students from families that are below the federal poverty line.

Students who are eligible will receive an annual scholarship of approximately $72,000.

According to The Wall Street Journal, scholarship recipients will still be responsible for their living expenses, which the school estimates to be about $21,000 this school year.

The scholarships will free students with the greatest need from financial worry during law school and open up a world of possibilities so that they can be a powerful force for change in society.

Gerken said in a statement that they are committed to opening their doors to the students who have the most to gain from this School and the most to give to the world.

The news is related to a movement in higher education to make graduate school programs more accessible. Medical schools, including New York University's School of Medicine, have led the charge.

Many graduate students take on debt to attend their institutions. Public law school graduates take on an average of $93,000 in debt, while private school graduates take on an average of $134,000.

Law school graduates on average borrowed about $135,000 last year.

The highest need students face significant financial hardship and lack an economic safety net to fall back on.

8%- 10% of the law school's students are eligible for the awards, which will be funded through alumni donations.