The Boston College Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program

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. The recipients are determined by a Dean-appointed committee and the awards are renewable annually.

Guidelines and Process

General Description of the Program

The goal of the Boston College Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program is to encourage Boston College Law School graduates to pursue public interest careers. The fund does so by offering loans that are subject to cancellation if qualifying conditions are met. As a condition of the award, LRAP recipients must provide the law school with a commitment letter and promissory note affirming:

· The intent to remain in a law-related public interest position for the year of the award;
· A promise to repay the award should they not remain in a law-related public interest position for a minimum of nine months of that year, or if they fail to meet any other conditions of the award for that year, and;
· That the awards received from LRAP will be used solely for the repayment of law school educational debt and for no other purpose.

The Committee shall determine annually the award recipients and the amount of each award. These determinations are based on:

· The funds available to the Committee,
· The number of qualified LRAP applicants,
· The type of employment,
· The relationship of each applicant's salary to educational debt, and
· All information contained on the application form and supporting documents.

In keeping with the LRAP Program's goal to support a variety of careers in public interest, the Committee may need to cap awards each year in order to assist as many candidates as possible. They may also decide to give awards of varying amounts. In recent years, annual awards ranged from $500 to $7,000. The goal of the program has been to fund up to 60% of a qualifying candidate's annual educational debt repayment.

Eligibility Guidelines

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. (Part-time employment will be considered on a pro rated basis, if funds allow). Applicants remain eligible in subsequent years until their earnings reach $65,000. Applicants must also meet the following criteria:

1. Employment must be in a Public Interest Organization
To be eligible for a LRAP award, the applicants' employment must be in a public interest organization. Three broad categories of employment meet this criterion and applicant's will be considered in the following descending order of priority. 1) The first category is employment with organizations that provide direct legal services to clients who are indigent and/ or members of traditionally underrepresented groups. These organizations may be private, non-profit entities or government entities. Examples of such organizations include but are not limited to, legal services corporations and public defenders' offices.  2) The second category is private, non-profit employers. Examples of such employers include, but are not limited to, private organizations with a "501 (c)(3)" or "501 (c)(4)" tax exempt status, such as the ACLU and the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund.  3) The third category is state, municipal or federal government agencies (other than those listed in the exclusion section). Examples of agencies that qualify as public interest employment include, but are not limited to, district attorney offices and attorney general offices.

2. Employment Must be Law Related
Applicants must provide documentation that their employment duties are "law related." At the time of application, candidates will be asked to submit a letter from their employer that describes the terms of the employment offer and description of the duties and salary.

3. Financial Status
Candidates for the LRAP Program must agree to: 1) Apply LRAP financial awards directly to their educational loans, and 2) Provide the Committee with a completed Application Form together with copies of their completed annual tax forms with all required schedules and loan statements.

In addition, candidates are strongly encouraged to consolidate their eligible educational loans for the maximum period of time for which they are eligible, and to provide evidence of such consolidation where requested on the Loan repayment assistance application form. Awards may be reduced if candidates have not consolidated their eligible loans for the maximum period of time.

C. Exclusions

Graduates employed in judicial clerkships or in academic (i.e. teaching or clinical fellowship) positions are not eligible for the program. Should they become employed in a qualified law-related public interest position within five years of graduating, they are eligible to apply to the LRAP Program. Graduates who have accepted an offer of employment from a firm, regardless of start date, are not eligible.

D. Application Deadline

To be eligible for a LRAP award for 2010, the applicant must submit an application by mail, fax or e-mail by December 1, 2009 to: Boston College Law School, Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Attn: LRAP, 885 Centre Street, Newton, MA 02459, Fax: 617.552.2917. The application must be received by the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid by December 1st to be considered. If not received by December 1st, your application will not be accepted.

2010 LRAP Application Form

2010 LRAP Indebtedness Form

 
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