In 2003, Rutgers law students voted overwhelmingly in favor of establishing a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) to provide financial assistance to help defray law school debt obligations for law school graduates choosing lower paid public interest and public service careers.

We define public interest work broadly. All graduates employed in full-time positions with legal services and other non-profit legal services organizations, and with local, county, state or federal governmental entities are eligible for our LRAP.  A judicial clerkship is not qualifying employment.  However, if after the completion of the clerkship, the graduate accepts employment in the public interest sector, he or she is encouraged to apply for LRAP.

The qualifying income level is $55,000 for a single filer and $87,500 for joint filers.

A refundable student fee charged on each term bill will fund the LRAP. This fee is $25/semester for full-time students, $18.75/semester for part-time students. Other university funds have already been committed, and further funding is being sought.

The salary cap will be determined by the committee, which includes student, faculty and staff representatives. All eligible applicants will receive a proportional share of the funds available in each awarding cycle. The LRAP program intends to contribute between 15-25% of the graduates' annual debt payment, and thus far has been able to exceed that amount.