List of Responding Schools
Albany Law School has always been committed to making rewarding public interest careers move viable to its graduates. To further this commitment, the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) was launched in December 2004. This program is designed to help alleviate the financial burden of educational loan repayment upon students who wish to pursue careers in public interest law, as well as city, county and state attorney's offices, and agencies operated by a city, county or state.
The Washington College of Law offers loan repayment assistance to graduates working in the public interest or as public servants through the American University Washington College of Law Public Interest Loan Repayment Assistance Program (PILRAP). Graduates whose salaries are less than $75,000 annually may participate in the program. For those with higher salaries, and indeed for all students and graduates, the Office of Financial Aid and the Office of Public Interest are available to provide information about federal loan repayment and forgiveness programs.
For a description of PILRAP see http://www.wcl.american.edu/finaid/pilrap.cfm
None
The Boston College Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) supports recent BC Law graduates in law-related public interest careers by assisting them in the repayment of their educational debt. In recent years, annual awards ranged from $500 to $7,000. In order to be considered for the LRAP Program, first-time applicants must have graduated from Boston College Law School within the past five years and be employed on a full-time basis in a public interest job earning $57,500 or less. Applicants remain eligible in subsequent years until their earnings reach $65,000. In 2009, the law school awarded over $269, 000 to the 74 qualifying applicants.
BU Law has a strong tradition of commitment to public service. We recognize that many law graduates have difficulties pursuing public interest careers because salaries are insufficient to enable them to pay loans in addition to covering their living expenses. Since 1993, BU Law has provided financial support to our alumni in order to relieve some of the burden of making monthly payments.
Under the terms of the current program, graduates are eligible to apply for assistance for up to ten years after graduation. Applications are submitted to the Law Financial Aid Office and reviewed by the Loan Repayment Assistance Program Committee, who consider several criteria, including current salary, total educational debt, year of graduation, spousal income and educational loans (if any), dependent responsibility, the monthly payment in relation to monthly income and any special circumstances affecting the applicant’s ability to repay outstanding debt. The Committee also considers the nature of the public service activity, the organization’s history, and its viability when deciding how to allocate the funds available.
A full description of the program is available on our website - http://www.bu.edu/law/admissions/financial-aid/loan-repayment-assistance-program/
BYU administers an interest forgiveness/deferral program for students who experience financial hardship. This program applies only to loans made from the law school and not to federal loans.
Brooklyn Law School's LRAP provides up to $7,000 per year for up to five years to qualified graduates. Recipients must meet certain criteria including a minimum debt, income limitations, and employment at a non-profit employer. Details of the LRAP program can be found at http://www.brooklaw.edu/financialaid/lrap.php. In addition, the School's Financial Aid and Public Service Programs Offices help students to identify other post graduate funding including private resources as well as funding from city, state and federal sources. Finally, students are educated about and provided assistance to negotiate the College Cost Reduction and Access Act.
California Western School of Law has a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). This competitive program offers the opportunity for some degree of loan repayment assistance to select graduates of the Juris Doctor program at California Western School of Law who work in specific public interest settings.
Specifically, to be eligible to apply for loan repayment assistance, a graduate must satisfy all of the following:
- Graduation Year: Graduates are eligible for loan repayment assistance for the four years immediately following their graduation from the J.D. program.
- Type of Employment: Graduates are eligible for loan repayment assistance if they are employed or to be employed:
1. full time;
2. in a law or law related position; and
3. by a legal aid, legal services or other nonprofit advocacy or policy organization qualifying for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.
- Minimum Debt Requirement: Graduates with more than $50,000 in certified law school debt are eligible to apply for loan repayment assistance.
In making awards, the Committee will consider the applicants' financial needs, commitment to public interest, the number of applicants, the availability of present and future funds, the need for continuation of the Loan Repayment Assistance Program in the future, and any other relevant factors. The ideology of the organization by which the graduate is employed will not be considered in determining eligibility for assistance.
Campbell Law Graduates have been recipients of loan repayment assistance through the North Carolina Legal Education Assistance Foundation. (NC LEAF). For eligibility guidelines, see www.ncleaf.org.
The Capital University Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) Fund was established in 2005. This fund provides loan repayment assistance to graduates who select public interest career opportunities upon graduation.
Forgivable loans ranging from $1,200 to $3,600 per year are available to graduates of the Law School. LRAP funding is finite. There is no guarantee that every eligible applicant will be funded in a given year.
In order to apply for possible assistance from the Law School LRAP, applicants must:
http://law.capital.edu/LRAPExplanation/
The school also offers a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) to graduates who accept employment in the public interest.
There is no loan repayment assistance program.
The Charleston School of Law Foundation provides Student Loan Repayment Assistance Grants. Any Charleston School of Law graduate who has been engaged in continuous public service employment for at least six months, has an outstanding student loan, and has been out of school for less than five years is eligible to apply. Public service is defined as "service that is performed for the benefit of the public, its institutions or its people, and rendered in the public interest for the greater good of society." The Foundation will consider the applicant's financial need and the impact of the applicant's public service employment on the community. Grant awards will not exceed $2,500.00. Except in extraordinary circumstances, the Foundation will make awards on a one-time, non-recurring basis. The provision of grants is at all times subject to the availability of funds.
Law School tuition for in-state residents and out of state residents is highly affordable and as a result, there is only a limited LRAP program that has in past years provided assistance to 2-5 recent graduates who are in public interest positions.
Overview
Columbia Law School offers a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) that is among the most generous in the country to ensure that law school debt does not prevent graduates from entering the public interest sector. LRAP benefits are loans, which are used to repay Law School debt. LRAP loans are gradually forgiven when graduates remain in public interest employment for more than three years.
Participants have the option of electing the traditional Columbia Law School LRAP, or a program that combines Columbia’s LRAP with the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Columbia Law’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) is one of just four institutionally funded loan forgiveness programs among the nation’s top law schools; the remainder rely on the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. The LRAP program recently made significant changes to raise the income threshold and establish a new dependent allowance, thereby strengthening our already nationally renowned LRAP program. For detailed information about the programs, please refer to the Columbia Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program description found on our website.
Public Service Bridge Loan
Columbia Law School's Public Service Bridge Loan will provide up to $10,000 in forgivable loans to assist recent graduates entering careers in public interest/public service with bar exam expenses over the summer following graduation. Columbia Law School is the only premier law school in the country to offer a forgivable institutional loan for this purpose. Public Service Bridge Loans and third-party bar examination loans will be qualified debt under Columbia's LRAP program and therefore also eligible for LRAP loan forgiveness.
Cornell's Public Interest Low Income Protection Plan provides generous grants to graduates who work in public interest and government jobs. These grants are used to assist with student loan payments.
Since 2006, the LRAP has helped alums in public interest manage low-paying salaries with high educational debt loads while serving marginalized communities. The College of Law is able to grant 8-10 awards each year.
More information is available at: https://law.depaul.edu/about/centers-and-institutes/center-for-public-interest-law/financial-support/Pages/lrap.aspx
Workshops are held twice a year for third-year law students to discuss the mechanics of two programs contained in the College Cost and Reduction Access Act of 2007.
The purpose of the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) is to assist and support graduates who pursue careers in the public interest. This program acknowledges the fact that law student indebtedness poses a significant obstacle to students interested in public service careers and demonstrates our action in addressing this urgent problem. Given the rising cost of higher education and the accompanying debt burden, a career in the public interest is often not feasible without financial assistance. The Earle Mack School of Law created the LRAP as a way to provide our graduates with the option of considering work in lower paying public interest or public service positions by reducing some of the financial barriers that may prevent them from following this career path.
The LRAP provides law students with greater flexibility when making career decisions by offering partial loan forgiveness to applicants who work in qualifying, law-related employment in the public sector. A standing LRAP committee chooses recipients and awards are renewable annually up to the maximum number of years of participation. These forgivable loans are structured to help graduates repay a portion of their educational debt.
The Earle Mack School of Law hopes that the LRAP will have a positive impact on both our students and the legal communities in which the students practice. The goal of the program is to enable our graduates to accept jobs and continue working in the public sector while also helping the public interest organizations pursue their vital mission by recruiting, hiring and keeping the best legal talent available.
See http://www.law.duke.edu/admis/loan.html
William B. Billock Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). More information about the program is available online at https://www.duq.edu/academics/schools/law/alumni/loan-repayment-assistance-program.
Elon Law is a member of NC LEAF, a state wide LRAP program funded through a combination of state, law school and private funds.
For a complete description of the program, please click here
.
Not yet.
None.
https://www.fordham.edu/info/21381/loan_repayment_assistance_programs
Philip Hawkins, Financial Aid, phawkins@law.gwu.edu, 202-994-6990
Georgetown's Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) assists J.D. graduates in pursuing public interest careers. Graduates who qualify for LRAP benefits receive assistance with monthly student loan payments in the form of interest-free loans from Georgetown Law.
To help students who want to secure employment in low-paying public interest and government jobs, Golden Gate University School of Law offers a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). The Program has two goals: (1) to lessen the degree to which financing the cost of a legal education limits career options and (2) to encourage graduates to choose public interest careers.
Under LRAP, the Law School will make a loan to qualifying graduates to assist them with their law school loan repayments. If a graduate remains eligible throughout the year, the loan is fully forgivable in July of the year following application. If a graduate does not remain eligible throughout the year, the loan must be repaid in accordance with the promissory note agreement required. Program participants must apply annually for loan repayment assistance and for forgiveness of the prior year's loan.
To qualify and remain eligible for LRAP, the graduate must earn a total salary of less than $75,000 and the work performed by the graduate must require her/him to hold a law degree. Funding is limited and not guaranteed. Preference is given to graduates who perform legal services for or under the direction of a government unit or an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and exempt from tax under section 501(a). Section 108(f) of the Code details the requirements for non-taxable forgiveness. LRAP participants are encouraged to consult with a tax advisor regarding the tax implications of these loans. Among other things, loan forgiveness payments should not normally be counted as part of gross income.
The Gonzaga Loan Repayment Assistance Program is available for Gonzaga Law graduates working in public service across the country and around the world. The program loans selected graduates up to $4,000 annually to help repay specified law school loans. If a graduate remains in qualifying public interest employment for at least one year after receipt of a loan under this program, the loan made by the law school will be forgiven. Graduates may apply annually for a total of five years of LRAP funding.
The John R. Clark endowed Loan Repayment Assistance Program offers loan repayment for Spokane-area public defenders. The program provides recipients with a loan to help meet repayment of law school loans. If the recipient remains in public service for at least one year after receipt of the loan, it will be forgiven by the law school. Graduates may apply annually for the John R. Clark program.
For more information, see http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/finaid/lipp/ and contact:
Natasha Onken
Assistant Director for the Low Income Protection Plan & Summer Public Interest Funding
Student Financial Services
nonken@law.harvard.edu
617-495-4606
For information, please see http://law.hofstra.edu/currentstudents/FinancialAid/finaid_life.html
Howard does not currently have an LRAP.
Chicago-Kent Loan Repayment Assistance Program
Human rights, civil rights and liberties, social justice, access to justice, domestic violence, and anti-discrimination: these are several of the many areas addressed by public interest law. Chicago-Kent is committed to making such options available to its graduates. One challenge to a public interest career is high educational debt. Chicago-Kent has responded through the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). The Mission of the LRAP is 1) help alumni in low-paying public interest jobs manage their student loan debt for the year, so they can stay in their public interest jobs and 2) encourage current students to consider a public interest career.
In order to ensure that alumni in public interest and government positions with the greatest need receive funds from the LRAP, applicants must meet employment, debt and income requirements.
Questions about the Loan Repayment Assistance Program should be directed to:
Michelle Mohr Vodenik
Director & Public Interest/Diversity Advisor
Career Services Office
mvodenik@kentlaw.edu
312-906-5222
The Chicago Bar Foundation also has a loan repayment assistance program and Chicago-Kent College of Law students are eligible to apply. See http://chicagobarfoundation.org
The program, which began in October 2006, is funded by an endowment.
Graduates may receive LRAP assistance for up to five years after graduation. Assistance is granted to JD graduates within an income cap who substantially utilize their law degrees to serve under-represented people or causes while working in a public interest position. Lewis & Clark's LRAP strives to meet the annual loan servicing need of qualified graduates as determined by Income-based Repayment or Pay as You Earn.
None at this time.
Since July 1989, Loyola Law School has provided financial assistance to graduating students who accept lower-paying public interest employment, but who need help in repaying education loans. The Public Interest Loan Assistance Program (PILAP) is available to students who are employed by a qualified public interest program at an annual salary of less than $54,000. The maximum award an applicant can receive is $12,000 annually.
Eligibility for the Loan Repayment Assistance (LRAP) program includes any graduate who has been employed full-time in the previous calendar year in a law-related capacity for an employer that is a not-for-profit corporation exempt from taxation pusuant to Section 501 © (e) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code (other than Loyola University Chicago) or a governmental entity. If the number of applicants exceeds the amount of available funds, preference will be given to graduates who were employed full time in positions whose primary responsibility is to represent or advocate on behalf of indigent persons, disadvantaged groups, or inadequately protected interests. Graduates must also meet debt and salary level eligibility requirements. The program is administered by Maureen Looker, Associate Director of Career Services and Public Service Law, 312-915-7124, and Professor Henry Rose, 312-915-7840.
For further information, see http://law.loyno.edu/gillislong/programs.html
The Howard and Phyllis Eisenberg Fund is an endowed fund held by Marquette University that provides income each year for the purpose of law school loan repayment assistance. Dean Eisenberg established the Loan Repayment Assistance Program in the spring of 2001. After his death, the program was renamed to serve as a lasting memorial to him and was enhanced through memorial contributions and other donations.
For information, visit http://www.law.marquette.edu/community/howard-and-phyllis-eisenberg-fund-loan-repayment-assistance-program.
A Committee has been formed to investigate the possibility of forming a Loan Repayment Assistance Program.
For a description, see http://www.lrapmn.org/
The New York Law School Public Service Career Recognition Program honors the commitment made by graduates to pursue careers in public service. New York Law School recognizes the importance of community-based legal services, encourages its students to participate in public service activities, and promotes the pursuit of public service legal careers. We are mindful of the financial sacrifice made by many graduates to pursue these careers, and this program is designed both to recognize this choice and to relieve a portion of the student loan debt carried by graduates who have chosen this route.
In order to assist graduates who have chosen public service careers, loan repayment assistance loans are provided by the Law School to refinance part of existing education debt. The loans are fully forgiven immediately after the end of the calendar year in which they are made, providing the recipient is still employed in qualifying employment. Recipients may renew the loans for up to three years as long as they remain in qualifying employment.
NYU Law established one of the first and most generous Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP) in the country to assist students who pursue low-paying law-related careers, including academia. The program may pay the full annual debt service for JD graduates for up to ten years following graduation. For further information, please visit http://www.law.nyu.edu/financialaid/lrap/.
The state IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts) program funds NC LEAF, the NC Legal Education Assistance Foundation. NC LEAF also receives contributions from the schools. Web address: http://www.ncleaf.org/.
Since 1989, Northeastern has been operating a loan relief assistance program to graduates engaged in public interest law practice. Over the past 24 years, the law school's Loan Deferral and Forgiveness (LD.F) Program has provided several million dollars in loan relief assistance to nearly 500 graduates. The program provides loan relief to graduates doing legal work for civil legal service organizations, public defenders, non-profit advocacy groups, government (excluding judicial internships), unions and, in limited circumstances, small private firms whose focus is public interest law practice.
With the passage of the federal College Cost Reduction Assistance Act (CCRAA), which provides generous federal loan obligation relief, the law school is able to increase its support to its graduates. It is the school's ambition to increase the amount of support steadily and substantially over the next several years.
For many years, Northwestern Law has helped preserve a complete range of career choices for its graduates by providing graduates who enter public interest and government jobs assistance in repaying their law school loans. In 1984, Northwestern Law created its first such program, the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP).
The Law School has revised this program to reflect the changing economic landscape and the needs of its students, and it is now called the Public Service Fellowship (PSFP). PSFP assists graduates entering legal and managerial positions in the public and non-profit sectors.
Under the program, eligible graduates working as attorneys or managers in any government or non-profit agency will receive one-year forgivable loans for their legal education debt service. If the graduate remains in a qualifying position for one year, the loan is forgiven in its entirety. Graduates may participate in the program for up to ten years.
Those who qualify apply only a certain percentage of their earnings to their annual obligations for loan repayments; the Public Service Fellowship provides for the remainder of their obligations in the form of one-year forgivable loans. The amount of assistance granted to each participant is based upon the gross income and the amount of the indebtedness of the participant. The calculations adjust the participant's income downward to reflect annual debt service from undergraduate loans and a dependant's allowance of $5,000 per child. Married applicants are treated as having the higher of (a) his or her own income or (b) half of the joint income.
| |
|
| Income Level (AGI) |
% of Income Applicant is Expected to Contribute (per year) |
| $0-$30,000 |
0% |
| $30,001-$40,000 |
6% |
| $40,001-$50,000 |
7% |
| $50,001-$60,000 |
8% |
Presently, the maximum annual law school contribution is capped at $13,000.
Website: http://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissions/tuitionaid/loans/lrap.html
A committee of faculty, staff, and alumni are in the process of developing a LRAP. Initial disbursements are scheduled to be made Spring 2002. To be eligible for consideration, students must work in public interest related positions.
In addition to formal loan counseling through the financial aid office, the Law School offers students MAX by AccessLex (MAX), a personal finance education program created for law students that includes in-person workshops, online and virtual programming, and one-on-one counseling with MAX counselors. The Law School enters all students into MAX in the summer before their first year. The Law School requests, but does not require, that students complete two of the MAX lessons before starting school in the fall. Law students receive an in-person introduction to MAX at new student orientation. MAX counselors hold separate in-person workshops for each class of students every semester. Students also receive monthly newsletters, access to MAX podcasts, and other online programming. MAX also teaches third-year students how to manage their federal and private student loan debt after graduation, including by reviewing all available repayment, deferment, forbearance, and forgiveness options. MAX enters students into a drawing for multiple scholarships offered by AccessLex each time students complete an activity, which gives students an additional incentive to engage with the MAX programming.
See LRAP Policy
For a description see: http://www.law.pace.edu/currentstudents/lrap.html
In an effort to encourage and enable Penn State Law graduates to pursue careers in public interest law, the Law School has established a Loan Repayment and Assistance Program (LRAP) that can assist qualified graduates working in public interest law with their loan repayment obligations. More information is available on http://law.psu.edu/financial_aid/lrap.
Caruso Family Loan Forgiveness Fund
Judge Harry T. Shafer Loan Repayment Assistance Fund
For more information, visit: https://law.pepperdine.edu/admissions/financial-aid/domestic-applicants/loans/forgiveness-programs.htm
Available for students who meet policy requirements.
Thanks to the generosity of Roger Williams University and Jack and Sara McConnell, the Feinstein Center established the Public Interest Loan Repayment Assistance Program in 2008. Through the program, we award approximately eight grants of $4000 annually to graduates representing indigent clients in either civil or criminal proceedings.
In 1998 students at the law school established a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) for graduates who make a long-term commitment to public interest employment. The program provides financial assistance to help defray law school debt obligations for graduates who have chosen to pursue lower paid public interest/public service careers. The continuing commitment of our students, support of our faculty and administration, and generosity of our alumni/ae have strengthened the program over the years.
The LRAP is available for all graduates from the class of 1997 and forward who are employed in law-related public interest positions and whose income does not exceed maximum levels established by the LRAP board. Graduates are eligible to receive program funds for a maximum of five years. The board's current policy is to ensure that each applicant who qualifies receives a proportionate share of the LRAP funds available for disbursement. Award amounts are subject to the availability of funds and the number of applicants eligible in each award period.
Awards are made in the form of a loan and as such are not considered as taxable income to the recipient. This LRAP loan indebtedness is forgiven upon fulfillment of qualifying public interest employment, usually without adverse federal income tax consequences to the recipient as provided in applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. In order to qualify to receive program funds, graduates must submit an LRAP application and all required documents each year; sign a Promissory Note in the amount of the annual LRAP loan; apply the loan proceeds toward the re-payment of law school educational debt; and promptly advise the LRAP administrator of any change in employment and/or financial condition.
Partially by student fee and partially through law school operating expenses.
For a description see: http://www-camlaw.rutgers.edu/probono/fundingpubint.html
St. John's Law School's Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) provides financial assistance to qualified Law School graduates working in public interest positions by paying a portion of their law school educational loan debt. Qualifying employment consists of full-time employment with a non-profit organization. In keeping with the St. John's Vincentian mission of service to others, the Program seeks to enable graduates to select their employment without being precluded from public interest and government options because of financial hardship. It also aims to encourage St. John's law graduates to choose public interest and public service careers. The Law School recognizes that the legal community has a responsibility to provide services to people who cannot otherwise afford representation.
None.
St. Thomas Law administers the John & June Mary Makdisi Loan Forgiveness Fund (established in 1999) and the Mr. & Mrs. Stanley G. Tate Loan Forgiveness Fund (established 2001) which provide loan repayment assistance to alumni in law-related public interest careers.
Cumberland's Career Services Office offers counseling to navigate repayment options for those who take low-paying, public interest jobs; particularly with regard to the Higher Education Reauthorization and College Opportunity Act of 2008.
Income Supplement Grants -Graduates of Santa Clara University School of Law working full-time in qualifying public interest and social justice positions may apply for a one-year Income Supplement Grant. The Income Supplement Plan ensures a minimum income to selected graduates accepting public interest and social justice jobs at low salaries. These graduates work for organizations that seek to improve the lives of the marginalized, subordinated, and underrepresented clients and causes. The grant year runs from September 1 through the following August 31.
For a description see: www.law.seattleu.edu/financialaid/lrap
Information on the Program can be found at http://law.shu.edu/csj/public_interest_loan_repayment_assistance_program.html. The Program is funded through student fundraising.
As the result of a gift to the law school, South Texas College of Law has approved the Fred Parks loan repayment assistance project, which operates on a model similar to the Texas Access to Justice Commission's Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program. The program targets students pursuing a career in public interest law, particularly those recent graduates who help low-income Texans.
The Miles and Nancy Rubin Loan Forgiveness Program - the Law School's loan repayment assistance program (LRAP) - provides financial aid to graduates who pursue public interest or government service careers. In 1987, Stanford Law School was the first law school in the country to launch such a program.
Stanford's commitment to guaranteeing career choices for its graduates is demonstrated by LRAP's success. The program reflects one of the school's key values: that public service is a worthy pursuit and that lawyers have a professional obligation to participate in public service throughout the course of their careers.
The program:
- Ensures that salary will not drive alumni career decisions.
- Helps alumni with excellent skills, motivation, and credentials find public interest jobs in both the United States and abroad.
- Lends funds to eligible applicants to help them meet their monthly educational loan payments. Loans are awarded on an annual basis. If the graduate remains in qualifying public interest employment for the full year, 100% of that annual loan is forgiven at the end of the calendar year.
Graduates can participate in LRAP for up to ten years after they receive their JD. The program spent nearly $2 million to help 197 alumni participants in 2011. The average LRAP award per alumnus was $12,686.00 for the year.
For 2012 program details, please visit: http://www.law.stanford.edu/program/tuition/assistance/pdf/LRAP_2012_brochure.pdf
For a description, see https://www.suffolk.edu/law/admission/tuition-aid/types-of-aid/public-service-loan-forgiveness
For a description, see http://www.law.temple.edu/servlet/RetrievePage?site=TempleLaw&page=Prospective_Public_Interest
The Student Public Interest Initiative is in the process of developing a Loan Repayment Assistance Program that would assist graduates who take public interest positions after graduation.
For a description, see http://www.tourolaw.edu/tlc_net/alumni_and_development/alumni/loan_repayment_assistance_program.asp
For a description, see http://www.law.tulane.edu/uploadedFiles/PublicInterest_Brochure.pdf
None.
Many of our students received loan repayment assistance through the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education Loan Repayment Program. The program was created in 1990 to establish a statewide loan assistance program for law school graduates employed in programs dedicated to serving the civil legal needs of the poor. Applicants must be members of the State Bar of Arizona (this requirement can be waived for up to 24 months), employed full-time with an approved non-profit legal organization and earning an income not to exceed $45,000. http://www.azflse.org/azflse/grants/loanrepayment.cfm
A primary mission of UC Irvine School of Law is to inspire and support students and graduates who are dedicated to a career in public service law. To help achieve this goal, the Law School has created a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) intended to expand the career options of UCI Law graduates by removing the financial burden created by federal education loans, including undergraduate and law school loans. Qualified students who are employed and paid for full-time law-related work at a nonprofit organization or government agency may participate in LRAP for up to 10 years.
For more information, please visit the LRAP webpage at: http://www.law.uci.edu/financial_aid/lrap.html
The School of Law administers a loan repayment assistance program for students pursuing public interest careers.
The King Hall Loan Repayment Assistance Program was established in 1990 to assist recent graduates entering public interest/public benefit legal employment with educational loan repayment. In the past, it was difficult for many graduates to seriously consider this worthwhile and rewarding employment option because of educational debt burden and the corresponding payments. The LRAP program has effectively removed the employment barrier by offering interest free loans to qualified graduates.
The LRAP loans are used to make monthly or quarterly educational loan payments. Upon the completion of two years of public interest/public benefit employment, the School begins to forgive the interest-free loans at the rate of 25 percent per year. At the end of five years of qualifying employment, the LRAP effectively becomes a grant program and all loans are forgiven.
Berkeley Law maintains a strong commitment to public service-oriented graduates and it is our goal to preserve career choice by removing the student debt barrier. By integrating our LRAP with the Income Based Repayment (IBR) option and Public Service Loan Forgiveness provided by the federal government's College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, the LRAP grants up to 10 years of support to graduates for IBR payments for federal student loan debt greater than $100,000, provided that their annual income is no greater than $100,000. See http://www.law.berkeley.edu/194.htm for more information about Berkeley Law's LRAP.
The Public Interest Career Assistance Program (PICAP) is designed to aid and encourage Hastings graduates working in public interest legal organizations or government agencies by assisting with repayment of qualifying, outstanding educational loans. PICAP distributes money to assist in loan repayment to Hastings graduates working in low salary government or public interest jobs.
The College is pleased with its history of graduates who choose to use their skills and talent to serve in the public interest. Recognizing the disparity in salary between corporate employment and public interest the College is committed to supporting PICAP ensuring that its loan repayment assistance is significant and meaningful. This commitment is strengthened each year as the terms of the program and the annual budget are reviewed.
PICAP funding is finite. Awards are dependent on the number of eligible students applying and the established annual budget.
http://www.uchastings.edu/about/admin-offices/financial-aid/picap/index.php
The University of Chicago Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) is intended to alleviate the debt burden of our graduates who work in public interest. The most inclusive program of its kind, our LRAP includes a straightforward application and a generous $80,000 salary cap. In addition, all graduates who serve as judicial clerks are eligible for the program. The LRAP works in concert with current federal debt relief programs to offer the opportunity for any graduate staying in public interest for ten years to attend law school for free. For more details go to: http://www.law.uchicago.edu/financialaid/LRAP
None.
Colorado Law is dedicated to making public interest legal careers a real option for our graduates, despite the reality of educational debt. Colorado Law's Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) provides partial loan repayment awards to select alumni who choose qualifying public interest work. Awards may be as much as $5,500 per recipient per year, depending on the availability of funds and other factors. Through our LRAP, alumni may receive up to 5 years of loan repayment assistance. Applications are accepted once a year in the fall.
Students, with the support and guidance of Law School Faculty and Administrators, are currently working to craft a program which will provide meaningful financial assistance to students and graduates who decide to make a career in public interest/public service. A bill to fund such a program was passed by the Judiciary Committee of the General Assembly in the 2000-2001 general session but has not yet been adopted by the entire Assembly.
None, but the School of Law is exploring the possibility of establishing a program.
The College of Law offers a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) to benefit alumni who make a commitment to work in the public interest. It is a competitive program. To be eligible applicants must have Graduated with a JD from Sturm College of Law after May 2003, currently work in a public service field (government or non-profit) in a position that utilizes your legal skills (judicial clerkships do not qualify), have an income below $75,000, and be in repayment and not past due on your student loans. LRAP award amount are calculated based on a recipient's annual IBR/PAYE payment. The LRAP Committee, which includes the Director of Public Interest, a representative from the financial services dept. and others, strives to provide LRAP funding that will cover as much of a recipient's monthly payments as possible. For more information visit this site.
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The UGA School of Law is one of only a few public law schools offering loan repayment aid to alumni in public interest positions. The school provides annual awards to four or five recent graduates who have committed their careers to public service.
The establishment of a loan repayment assistance program (LRAP) is currently under investigation at the College of Law as a way to help alleviate the debt burdens of its graduates pursuing careers in public interest or public service work. The College of Law LRAP Exploratory Committee has called for the implementation of a loan repayment assistance program to ensure that every student who wishes to enter public service may do so, without being hindered by educational finances.
Public Interest Forgiveness Program for the Iowa Law School Foundation Loan
Applicants for this program must be employed on a full-time basis, in a law-related capacity by an organization which is exempt from federal income taxation as an organization described in Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, must have Iowa Law School Foundation Loan debt, must have a salary less than 125% of the "standard maintenance allowance (SMA)" for their geographical area. After one year of qualified employment applicants must provide written documentation from their employer confirming the applicant's employment for a full year and providing certification of the salary received for the full year. Eligible borrowers shall have their ILSFL forgiven at the following schedule, 25% after one year, 25% after two years (33% of the remaining balance), 50% after three years (the entire remaining balance).
Iowa Law School Foundation Loan Iowa Lawyer Forgiveness Program for the Iowa Law School Foundation Loan
The applicant must be engaged in employment performed primarily within the State of Iowa which requires a law degree and admission to the Iowa Bar and must also perform a minimum of 40 hours per year of qualifying pro bono legal services and must have Iowa Law School Foundation Loan debt. Additional factors to be considered in evaluating applications for the Pilot program will include the applicant's record of achievements at the UI college of Law, the applicant's financial need, the applicant's record of community service, and whether the applicant intends to engage in employment in a geographical area of Iowa that has a demonstrable and unmet need for lawyers or in a substantive area of the law for which there is a demonstrable and unmet need, as determined by the ILSF. The terms of forgiveness are the same as the terms of the Iowa Law Foundation Public Interest Loan Forgiveness Program.
Iowa Law School Foundation Loan Repayment Assistance Program
Provides modest financial assistance to graduates who obtain eligible public service employment and need assistance to repay loans taken during law school. Selection priorities are demonstrated commitment to public serve, need as determined by the total eligible debt to income adjusted for geographic cost of living differences and debt as determined by the total amount of eligible loan debt.
This type of program is under consideration.
The College of Law has received grants from the United States Department of Justice for the Rural Drug Prosecution Assistance Project ("RDPAP"). The purpose of the RDPAP is to enhance the ability of the criminal justice system in the rural parts of Kentucky to prosecute, defend, and adjudicate the increased volume of drug and drug-related crimes, by placing UK Law students and graduates as interns and employees with Commonwealth's Attorneys, Public Defenders and Circuit Court judges. Students employed through this program as public defenders would be working for the benefit of indigent defendants. The RDPAP includes a Tuition Remission Program under which UK Law participants in the Graduate Employment Program receive tuition remission payments based upon successful completion of one year of employment with qualified Commonwealth's Attorneys, Public Defenders and Circuit Court judges. It is anticipated that the amount of the tuition remission payment will be $10,000.
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For description see: http://mainelaw.maine.edu/admissions/loan-repayment-assistance.html
http://www.law.umaryland.edu/students/resources/tuition/loan_repayment.html
https://www.law.umich.edu/prospectivestudents/admissions/financial/Pages/LoanRepaymentAssistancePrograms.aspx
LRAP of Minnesota helps make public interest careers possible by assisting recent graduates with loan repayment. While only recent graduates may apply for an initial grant, previous LRAP recipients may reapply for assistance for up to fifteen years. LRAP is supported by donations from the area law schools, firms, attorneys, and the annual Race for Justice.
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Awards available to graduates who work directly with individuals in need of legal services and for a non-profit agency. Award amounts vary depending on number of qualified applicants.
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Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)—Phinney Fund:
Recognizing UNH School of Law graduates are committed to public service work but receive relatively low salaries with high student loan obligations, the University of New Hampshire School of Law and the Social Justice Institute are committed to ensuring that the Loan Repayment Assistance Fund remains a reliable resource for graduates choosing careers serving the public interest. The UNH School of Law annually contributes to the fund and actively seeks donations for the program. Additionally, the UNH School of Law sponsored LRAP Golf Tournament directly supports the UNH School of Law's Loan Repayment Assistance Program.
The Assistant Dean for Career Services and Assistant Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid serve on the advisory board for the New Mexico Department of Higher Education, which oversees the state LRAP for lawyers serving as district attorneys, public defenders and direct legal services providers. The state's LRAP has an explicit preference for graduates of the University of New Mexico School of Law.
The goals of the UNC School of Law's Loan Repayment Assistance Program are:
- To encourage students to enter permanent public service employment without regard to debt burden; and
- To assist graduates entering public service with law school loan debt.
The program aims to supplement other available sources of loan repayment assistance so as to permit graduates to perform public service in North Carolina, the nation and the world, without being restricted or discouraged by law school debt.
LRAP recipients receive a short-term loan from UNC School of Law and use those funds toward the payment of law school education loans. Eligibility is determined through the application and is reconfirmed after a year. If the recipient is still LRAP-eligible after a year, the short-term loan is forgiven. If a recipient becomes ineligible at any point during the year, the ineligible funds must be repaid.
Oregon Law offers LRAP assistance to recent graduates who meet income thresholds and are employed in public interest positions as part of its ongoing commitment to support graduates who public interest careers.
Penn Law is committed to promoting the pursuit of public interest and government careers. Many law students and graduates are committed to public service but find it difficult to accept public sector employment because of their high law school debt burden. Since 1989, Penn Law has operated the Toll Loan Repayment Assistance Program (TolLRAP). It is the goal of TolLRAP to enable graduates to pursue public interest careers without regard to indebtedness by providing interest-free loans to help defray the costs of educational loans. TolLRAP provides forgiveness of the loans after each year the graduate is in public interest employment.
In addition to TolLRAP I, we introduced a new program in November 2012 for graduates in Income Based Repayment (IBR), TolLRAP II. The TolLRAP II program reflects the change in the treatment of loans by the federal government, including through IBR and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and rewards sustained service through TolLRAP Plus. The Penn Law Toll Loan Repayment Assistance Program is made possible through the generosity and support of our alumni, especially Robert (L'66) and Jane Toll. Click here for more information about our TolLRAP Programming.
A Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) will commence in 2007-2008
University of Richmond does not have a LRAP at this time.
The Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) of the School of Law will provide up to $6,000 in annual assistance for up to 10 years for qualifying applicants. In general, graduates who undertake public service jobs providing legal services to the poor and under-served will be eligible to receive assistance. Covered student loans are those loans taken out to pay for law school tuition. The amount of assistance will be based on an applicant's income, which takes into account salary, marital status, and child care costs.
Graduates in qualifying employment are also eligible to apply to Minnesota Loan Repayment Assistance Program.
For a description see: http://www.sandiego.edu/usdlaw/finadm/finaid/lrap.php
Funding Description:
Two accounts primarily support the Loan Repayment Assistance Program:
- LRAP endowment account
- Account for non-endowment annual gifts to LRAP
An annual pledge drive organized by the Public Interest Law Foundation raises funds for the non-endowment.
USF School of Law's Keta Taylor Colby Loan Repayment Assistance Program assists USF School of Law graduates with their educational loan repayment to enable their pursuit of law careers in the public interest. Eligibility requirements and application can be found on the law school's website at: http://www.law.usfca.edu/alumni/loans.html
This is a partial loan forgiveness fund for USC Law graduates For a description see: http://www.law.sc.edu/loanforgiveness/
For a description see: http://mylaw2.usc.edu/portal/academics/financial/repayment.cfm
The College of Law is in the process of instituting such a program.
The UT Law Loan Repayment Assistance Program provides financial assistance to graduating students with educational debt who enter qualifying public service, beginning with the Class of 2008. UT Law places a high value on working for the good of society, and the LRAP is designed to make it affordable for our graduates to choose to accept public service employment.
http://www.utexas.edu/law/academics/centers/publicinterest/lrap/index.html
In addition to educating students about the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, Pacific McGeorge operates its own LRAP program for students entering public interest and public service law. Since 1995, Pacific McGeorge has offered a loan repayment assistance program for those students pursuing public legal service. This program acts as a form of post-graduate aid, providing grants from the law school to help graduates reduce their monthly loan obligation, thus enabling them to accept public interest jobs. Graduates who maintain a long-term career in the public interest field can potentially receive this assistance until all of their loans are repaid.
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A generous gift from Jefferson B. and Rita E. Fordham established the Public Service Loan Repayment Assistance Program. Other fundraising efforts also support the program.
The University of Virginia School of Law is committed to making public service a viable career option for graduates who work in the public interest anywhere in the world. As a public institution of the Commonwealth, the Law School is also committed to enabling graduates to practice in underserved parts of Virginia, including in private practice. Graduates who enter qualifying employment within two years of graduation or within two years of completing a judicial clerkship are eligible to receive loan repayment assistance from the Law School.
For the Classes of 2013 and later, the Law School's revised loan forgiveness program (VLFP II) helps repay the loans of graduates who earn less than $75,000 annually in public service positions. Participants in the program who earn less than $55,000 annually receive benefits covering 100 percent of their qualifying law school loans. Those earning between $55,000 and $75,000 receive benefits prorated based on income. For the Classes of 2012 and earlier, the Law School maintains its original loan forgiveness program (VLFP I).
The University of Washington Law School will be administering its new Loan Repayment Assistance Program for the first time in 2010.
The University of Wisconsin Law School sponsors a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP), which provides small grants to students who accept permanent public interest jobs after graduation. Since its inception in 2002, the LRAP has generally provided anywhere from two to six months of loan repayment in the form of a lump sum payment upon acceptance of a "qualifying position." "Qualifying position" means a legal position at a non-profit organization or government agency with a specified annual salary.
To help ease the burden for graduates who take public interest employment, Vanderbilt Law offers a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) that pays from 20 to 50 percent of your annual loan repayment obligation for up to ten years. The amount of loan assistance for which you are eligible is based on your salary.
For a description see: http://www.vermontlaw.edu/admissions/index.cfm?doc_id=72
The Villanova Law Loan Repayment Assistance Program was started in 2006 by the Public Interest Fellowship Progam. The LRAP is funded through proceeds from our annual public interest auction.
Wake Forest University School of Law Loan Repayment Assistance Program http://career.law.wfu.edu/alumni/lrap/
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The Washington and Lee University School of Law Shepherd Loan Repayment Assistance Program (the "LRAP") is designed to provide financial assistance to graduates working in the public interest at salaries below what their counterparts in the private sector are earning.
The Mel Brown Family Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) was adopted in January 2002. LRAP provides forgivable loans to qualifying graduates. Graduates are eligible for partial or full loan forgiveness if they have at least $20,000 in law school loan debt, are employed by the government or a nonprofit organization, and earn less than $45,000 annually.
The School of Law does not have a Loan Repayment Assistance Program.
For a description, see www.law.whittier.edu/alumni_attny/services-loan-repayment.asp
For a description, see: http://www.law.widener.edu/financial_aid/aid_lrap.shtml
For a description, see:
http://www.law.widener.edu/financial_aid/aid_lrap.shtml
Oregon State Bar LRAP- https://www.osbar.org/lrap
See law.wm.edu/careerservices/currentstudents/lrap/index.php for information about William & Mary's LRAP
The Career Options Assistance Program (COAP) allows students to choose public service after graduation by paying all or a portion of their academic loans. COAP provides full loan repayment to any and all graduates who are earning less than $50,000 a year (more with deductions) and partial repayment for those with salaries quite a bit higher. In 2018 alone, COAP provided over $5.3 million in loan forgiveness to 400 YLS graduates. To date, COAP has provided over $54 million in loan repayment.
In September 2008, prominent philanthropist, Laurie M. Tisch made a $5 million gift to establish the Laurie M. Tisch Loan Repayment Assistance Program at Cardozo. This endowment strengthened and expanded the existing LRAP program to provide annual forgivable loans to graduates working in public service up to five years post-graduation to assist them in overcoming their educational debt. In 2012 a total of $310,000 was awarded to 81 alumni who graduated in the prior 5 years were provided awards ranging from $1,000 - $11,000. - See more at:
http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/current-students/office-student-finance/loan-repayment-assistance-program#sthash.nDeh42zA.dpuf
1/12/2021