One Kaplan LSAT preparation course: $1,249. One new LSAT familiarization course offered by the University: $50. Saving $1,199 studying for the LSAT? Priceless.

At least that's what the LSA Student Government hopes.

This spring, LSA-SG and the University Career Center are sponsoring a new course as an affordable alternative to LSAT prep services like Kaplan and the Princeton Review.

The course, which runs from March 8 to April 12, will briefly acquaint students with the format and content of the exam.

While this course will not be as extensive as LSAT courses offered by test-prep agencies, the new course will try to "take the fear out of this big beast," said Mariella Mecozzi, senior assistant director of pre-professional services at the Career Center.

The course will help the students "assess their baseline competency, learn test-taking strategies and develop a study plan to follow after the completion of the course," Mecozzi said.

In addition to sponsoring the course, the Career Center also helps students put together reference letters and review essays to ease the burden of applying to law school.

Though the University program will proctor a full practice exam at the end of the course, it does not offer as many resources as commercial study services.

Test-prep services, although more expensive, offer students more study resources, say company officials. According to Steven Marietti, director of pre-law programs for Kaplan, the company's study program provides students with every question ever released by LSAT - giving students more than 5,000 sample problems to study.

Kaplan's course, which runs for 14 weeks, is also extremely "focused and intensive," Marietti said.

Each weekly class lasts nearly four hours, compared with the University course that will hold one two-hour class each week for seven weeks.

Kaplan provides need-based aid for students who can't afford the $1,249, said Kaplan spokeswoman Carina Wong.

Kaplan also provides an online course for $1,099.

The University program doesn't intend to be the singular entity that prepares students, but will merely serve as a primer for the test, Mecozzi said.

LSA sophomore Justin Benson, chair of LSA-SG's Budget Allocations Committee and leader of the LSAT project, said the course is "an incredible opportunity for students who can't afford other options," adding that the new course would help students decide if law school is even an option for them.

The new class, part of Benson and LSA-SG President Andrew Yahkind's campaign platform last fall, has been in the works for eight months. To sign up for the program, students should go to careercenter.umich.edu.