USF Keta Taylor Colby Public Interest
Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)

The purpose of this program is to assist recent University of San Francisco (USF) School of Law graduates with their educational loan repayment to enable their pursuit of law careers in the public interest. The LRAP program offers qualified participants short-term loans which are forgiven at the end of the calendar year if all terms are met.

LRAP Guidelines and Terms for 2012 Funding

Eligibility

1. New applicants must be alumni of the USF School of Law who received their Juris Doctor degree within the last five years,(i.e., Dec. 2006 through May 2011). 

2. Assuming continued eligibility and availability of funding, participants are eligible for recertification of funding for a maximum of four years. Recertification requires submission of a new LRAP application and all relevant documents in a timely manner each year.  The amount of a recertified loan award may change from year to year. 

3. Alumni with gross incomes of $60,000 or less are eligible to apply for LRAP. Those earning more than $60,000 who feel there are extenuating circumstances must submit a “petition for a waiver” for consideration by the Social Justice Committee, which oversees the LRAP program. The petition must explain their circumstances and be accompanied by relevant supporting documentation. Relevant factors include, but are not limited to: the need to provide financial support for others; expenses for dependents; and lack of alternative sources of support (assets or family assistance). An area’s cost of living is relevant in combination with other factors but will not, on its own, justify a waiver. Detailed budget information will assist the Committee’s deliberations. (The calculation of gross income of applicants whose expenses are shared with partners is explained below.) 

4. For the purposes of determining the eligibility of a graduate who has a spouse, domestic partner, or anyone else who contributes significantly to household income, the Committee uses an annual gross income figure. The gross income shall be the higher of: (1) the applicant's annual salary; or (2) the two salaries combined and divided in two. The partner's income will be reduced by the annual amount of the partner’s student loan debt repayment. Modifications to this calculation will be considered for special circumstances, which must be explained in detail.
5. The allowance for children, non-earning spouses, or other dependent family members is $5,000 per dependent, which will be deducted from the total household income for purposes of determining the eligibility and amount of LRAP funding.

6. Applicants must be engaged in public interest work. Public interest work is defined as any work providing legal assistance to poor or under represented people or interests, or work in support of peace and social justice issues. 

1. Preference will be given to applicants working at not-for-profit agencies as defined by 501(c) (3) of the federal tax code, as well as to individuals working in and on behalf of under-represented or impoverished communities. 
2. Government positions providing legal assistance to the poor or under represented will be considered. For other types of government employment, eligibility shall be determined by the Committee on a case-by-case basis, and the applicant must include information in their personal statement detailing how their work serves the public interest. Individuals working on environmental issues will be considered.
3.  The eligibility of private public interest employment shall be determined by the Committee on a case-by-case basis. The employer must submit written verification of the nature of the applicant’s work and the percentage performed on a pro bono, reduced, or court-awarded fee basis. Detailed supporting documents may be required to determine eligibility. 

7. A program participant must work at least two-thirds (2/3) time in paid public interest work that is law-related to be and remain eligible for the program. 

1.  To qualify as “law-related,” the applicant’s legal education must have contributed substantially to the applicant’s ability to obtain and/or perform the job. Jobs that are equally available to non-lawyers or that do not require legal skills do not qualify as “law related.” 

1. Exceptions to the two-thirds time requirement may be made to provide some funding to participants who can only work part time. This includes participants who are caring for children or other relatives, etc. If funding is provided for part-time work, it will be proportional to the amount worked.  Applicants who must work part-time must provide a statement explaining the circumstances. 

8. Applicants’ loan repayments must be up-to-date. However, applicants who are not current in their payments may apply for LRAP and be considered on an individual basis. Applicants who are not current should include, in their application materials, full information about the loans that are not current, the reasons for their status, and the steps they have taken or intend to take to make them current. They must also contact the Assistant Dean for Academic Services at the School of Law for loan counseling. 

9. The eligible income level (currently $60,000) may be adjusted in future years to take into account increases in the cost of living. 

Educational Loan Repayment Options / Loan Consolidation 

Applicants are encouraged to consider enrolling in the federal loan forgiveness and Income Based Repayment (IBR) plan referenced on the law school web page for Loan Repayment Assitance (http://www.usfca.edu/law/alumni/loan_assistance/ ). If the IBR program reduces monthly payments to a level that renders the applicant ineligible for the LRAP program, such applicants are nonetheless encouraged to apply for LRAP assistance. (Participation in the federal program could impact LRAP eligibility because LRAP generally requires graduates to contribute 10% of their gross income toward loan repayment and then helps graduates with the remaining debt.  If the federal program reduced monthly payments to less than 10% of gross income, then they could become ineligible for repayment assistance.)  Particularly for those with very low salaries, the Committee will consider reducing the amount the applicant is expected to contribute to their own repayment to less than 10% of gross income.

2. For educational loans which offer flexible monthly payments (i.e. borrowers can opt for a 10-, 20-, or 30- year repayment period, significantly impacting monthly payments), LRAP funding eligibility will be based on past payment history. If monthly payments are reduced during the award period, the full amount of the LRAP award must be used to repay the educational loan(s). 

3. Applicants are not required to consolidate their loans. For participants who choose to consolidate their loans, which will usually extend their repayment period and decrease the amount they pay per month towards educational loan debt, LRAP funding eligibility will be based on the actual monthly payment for the consolidated loan. 

Qualifying Educational Loans 

1. Government-guaranteed loans such as Stafford, SLS, and Perkins are included. University

of San Francisco loans and private educational loans (i.e., Law Access and Law Loans) are included as well, but will be considered only if the applicant received these private loans after exhausting her or his federal loan eligibility. Loans from friends and relatives are not eligible. As USF financial aid policies and government loan availability and amounts change, the Committee will reexamine its policies for determining qualifying loans. 

2. Undergraduate loans, which meet the conditions noted above, are included in the loan repayment assistance program.  

Application Process 

1. The applicant must submit a completed USF LRAP Application and provide all supporting documentation in a timely manner. 

2. Applications and all relevant documents are due by October 1, 2011. 

3. The Committee will determine each person’s funding based on the merits of his/her application and funds available.  

Amount and Disbursement 

1. Participants are expected to spend 10% of their annual gross income on loan repayment.     The program will provide funds for that amount of the participant's loan burden which exceeds 10% of the participant's annual gross income subject to the caveats below: 

1. For students who enroll in the federal Income Based Repayment (IBR) option and whose monthly payments are reduced below 10% of their annual gross income, the Committee may consider waiving all or part of the requirement to pay 10% of annual gross income. 

1. Depending upon the number of eligible applicants and the amount of money available for distribution, awards may be capped. 

1. An applicant’s assets will be considered in determining the amount awarded. 

2.   LRAP funding for 2012 will cover educational loans due from January 1 through December 31, 2012.  Disbursed funds must be applied in full to repayment of eligible loans or returned to the School of Law. See LRAP Repayment section below. 

3.    LRAP funding by the school is provided in the form of a short-term loan that the school will forgive for qualifying participants at the end of the calendar year. (The law school provides a loan, and then forgives that loan, in order to lessen the tax burden participants would incur from a direct grant.  Direct grants are taxable income, whereas loans that are subsequently forgiven are often not treated as taxable income. [See Rev. Rul. 2008-34, 2008-28 I.R.B. 76] )  The loan is payable in two disbursements: January 15 and July 15. Disbursements on these dates are contingent upon the participants’ continued eligibility, confirmation of education loan repayment, and timely submission of required documents. Participants must sign a promissory note which obligates them to repay the loan amount on a prorated basis if they exit the program during the funding year. 

4. Awardees must submit the following completed forms to the program administrator to receive the first disbursement:

• LRAP Agreement       
• W9 form
• LRAP Promissory Note 

To receive the second installment, awardees must submit these completed documents:

• A “request for second disbursement” form
• An updated employment verification form dated between June 1-15
• Confirmation of current repayment of educational loans
• If an award amount is adjusted due to a change in qualifying circumstances, an updated LRAP promissory note will be required.

Failure to submit any required documents in a timely manner could result in forfeiture of the award.

LRAP Forgiveness

1.    Program participants must work in qualifying employment for the calendar year covered by the LRAP award to obtain forgiveness for the award. Prior to loan forgiveness, the participant must verify that s/he has remained in qualified public interest work and that his/her educational loans are in current repayment status by submitting an Employer Verification (See Eligibility Section) and a Loan Statement from each lender which evidences the participant’s current repayment.

2.    Although current law has been interpreted to exempt taxation on Law School loans funding student loan repayment for those engaged in public service, recipients are encouraged to consult a tax expert to determine their tax liability.

LRAP Repayment

1.    If a participant no longer qualifies for the program during the calendar year due to a change in or loss of qualifying employment, then the LRAP loan intended to cover the non-qualifying months must be repaid to USF School of Law.

2.   If the recipient becomes unemployed during the award period, his/her unique circumstances will be considered by the School of Law in determining the amount, if any, that must be repaid.  The recipient must contact the USF LRAP administrator promptly and submit a detailed explanation to receive such consideration.

LRAP/Social Justice Committee

The Social Justice Committee establishes the Loan Repayment Assistance Program guidelines and reviews them on an ongoing basis. The Committee examines applications, selects recipients and determines the award amounts. Committee members are appointed by the Dean and the Student Bar Association pursuant to the Faculty By-laws.  The student members are selected by the Student Bar Association.  The Assistant Dean for Academic Services serves as the LRAP program administrator

Reporting Requirements

1. It is the responsibility of each LRAP funding recipient to keep the Assistant Dean for Academic Services informed of any changes relating to his/her work status, salary, address (both street and email), and telephone number.

2. Recipients of LRAP funding may be asked to return to the School of Law to make presentations to students and/or faculty and/or write a description of their work in the public interest. These efforts will help to increase awareness of the program, stimulate interest in public interest work, and potentially assist the Law School in raising funds for the program.

Retroactive Application to Current LRAP Participants

The changes in the guidelines for the LRAP 2012 funding year apply to those seeking continuing funding as well as new applicants.  The committee reserves the right to change the guidelines.

Updated July 2011