In 2010, Alberto Cabrera Rivera’s family was among the thousands in Puerto Rico affected by the island’s decades-long economic recession. When his mother’s job disappeared and his father’s benefits were slashed, Rivera’s dreams of going to law school—let alone college—seemed impossible. Thanks to the gift of a scholarship, Rivera was able to attend a prestigious high school in Puerto Rico, where he excelled academically. Four years later, also thanks to a generous scholarship he received, he was able to attend Boston College, earning his undergraduate degree in 2021. This spring, the Nuccio Family Law Scholar graduated from BC Law.
“Scholarships are not just financial assistance,” Rivera said at the annual Boston College Law School Scholarship Dinner in April as the event’s student speaker. “They are beacons of hope; they are reaffirmations of the dedication, efforts, and sacrifices of students and their families. They provide life to our dreams, to our potential, and importantly, to this career.”
“Your selflessness and generosity have not only changed my life but have also inspired me to pay forward the blessings I have received.”
Alberto Cabrera Rivera, speaking to donors at BC Law’s annual Scholarship Dinner
Rivera is not alone. For many students, law school feels financially out of reach. But a scholarship can make a legal education possible—and dreams come true.
BC Law provides financial aid to nearly 90 percent of each class. Yet in a fiercely competitive market, the average aid package—$23,000 per student—makes it difficult to enroll highly qualified students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, even when BC Law is their top choice.
In the past two decades, the BC Law community has fueled much-needed growth in financial aid, more than doubling the number of endowed scholarships.
Yet the school still lags behind its better-resourced peers. The more financial aid BC Law offers, the more effectively it can compete with other top law schools to attract the best students—students who will achieve their potential through BC Law’s unique education and go on to change the world.
“Receiving such generous financial support has given me vital emotional and mental support as I go through law school, allowing me to pursue areas of interest I would otherwise be unsure if I could,” said Anthony Colace ’25, Dacier Family Law Scholar.
Tess Halpern ’24, Ault Law Scholar, echoes this sentiment. “This scholarship has given me the flexibility to continue to pursue public interest opportunities without any fear of financial repercussions. I am grateful.”
With increased support through Soaring Higher: the Campaign for Boston College, BC Law can expand access for highly qualified students and live up to its mission of forming the next generation of stellar lawyers serving the common good. For Rivera, who recently started his career at Latham & Watkins LLP, the support he received while a student at BC Law laid the foundation for the rest of his life. “This is a college that invests in people, a college that understands the great sacrifice that many of its students make, and entices us to support each other, here and beyond. Your selflessness and generosity have not only changed my life but have also inspired me to pay forward the blessings I have received,” he said in his speech to donors. “Thank you. You have allowed me to become a beacon.”