A. Yes. The Plan is reviewed annually and is subject to change.
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Emory Law offers financial support to students engaging in public interest through scholarships, grants and the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)
The 2024 LRAP Plan is below. The deadline to apply is December 31, 2024. The LRAP Plan is reviewed annually, and this webpage will be updated accordingly to reflect any changes
Emory University School of Law Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) Description
I. Introduction
Emory University School of Law (“Law School”) developed a loan repayment assistance program (LRAP) to facilitate students’ ability to accept public interest and public sector jobs upon graduation. The program offers financial assistance to students who choose to go into the public sector and have accumulated debt from educational loans during law school. Specifically, the Law School provides loans to qualifying graduates/applicants to help with their annual loan payments. After completing one (1) year of Eligible Employment, the LRAP loan to the graduate is entirely forgiven.
II.Eligibility Requirements
A. Eligible Classes. This program, subject to annual review and modification, applies to Law School J.D. graduates beginning with the Class of 2004.
Graduates are eligible to apply to participate in LRAP for a period of ten (10) consecutive years beginning with and including their first year of participation, subject to the Leave of Absence exception described in Section II.E., below.
B. Eligible Employment. Only graduates working in Eligible Employment will qualify for LRAP. “Eligible Employment” is defined as follows: a full-time job for which a Juris Doctor degree is required or preferred; that qualifies as “Public Sector Work,” as defined below; and that meets the income eligibility requirements of Section II.C.
“Public Sector Work” is defined as: (1) work for an organization qualifying for tax exemption under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3); and/or (2) work for federal, state, or local government. For purposes of LRAP, federal judicial clerkships are not considered eligible employment, however, state court clerkships are eligible. On a case-by-case basis, the LRAP Administrator will consider whether work undertaken outside the United States qualifies as “Public Sector Work” under the terms of LRAP.
C. Income Eligibility. The salary cap for graduates during their first year after graduation is $65,000. However, this cap will be adjusted for geographic areas with a higher cost of living compared to Georgia, per this chart (AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, HI, IL, ME, MD, MA, MN, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OR, PA, RI, TX, VT, VA, WA).
Qualifying applicants will be eligible to receive loans according to the following schedule:
- If they are enrolled in an income driven repayment plan (see Section D), they are eligible for a Law School loan equal to 100% of their loan payments for a calendar year. If they are not enrolled in an income driven repayment plan, they are eligible for 100% of their annualized loan payments as calculated using this chart. For each consecutive year of participation after the first year, the income cap is increased by 2.5%. For example, in year two, the income cap is $65,000 + 2.5% = $66,625.
- For applicants who are not on an income driven repayment plan, the graduate’s annual income will be decreased by $3,000 for each of the graduate’s qualifying dependents. Qualifying dependents will be determined using the applicant’s most recent federal income tax return.
- For applicants with a spouse or domestic partner, the applicant’s most recent federal tax return will be used to determine whether a spouse’s income will be included in determining income eligibility. If an applicant is married and filed jointly, then we will use either one-half of the joint income or the applicant’s individual income, whichever is higher, to determine income eligibility. If an applicant is married but files separately, the individual income will be used as reflected on the federal income tax return.
- The annual budgetary cap for LRAP is $120,000. If the requests for LRAP assistance by eligible graduates in any one fiscal year exceed this cap, the Law School may make pro rata disbursements to the applicants.
For purposes of LRAP, “income” means gross annual salary paid by applicant’s employer and includes allowances provided by an employer for living quarters and subsistence. Income also includes all income not subject to tax. Any unearned income received during LRAP participation, including, but not limited to, tax-free income from investments or trusts, inheritances or gifts, and child support payments received, must be treated as income in the year of its receipt.
The maximum eligible income for plan participation in 2024 is $65,000, subject to the adjustments described above.
D. Qualifying Loans. For purposes of LRAP, all law school educational loans are included in the applicant’s total debt. Qualifying loans include institutionally approved and certified law school loans such as federal Stafford, federal Perkins, federal Graduate Plus, and private education loans administered through the Emory University Financial Aid office. Bar review loans also qualify for LRAP. The LRAP Administrator has the discretion to determine whether other loans or debts not listed above qualify; however, loans undertaken for undergraduate studies do not qualify.
In addition, qualifying loans are those under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan or one of the four income-driven repayment (IDR) plans:
- Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Repayment Plan;
- Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan (formerly the REPAYE Plan);
- Income Based Repayment (IBR) Plan; or
- Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) Plan.
Note: LRAP is different than the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Be sure to check the qualifying repayment plans for PSLF when you graduate.
E. Leave of Absence. Graduates may take one one-year leave of absence from employment for medical or other significant reason (such as maternity or family leave) without violating their eligibility, or going into loan repayment under Section III below, upon written request of, and approval by, the LRAP Administrator. During an approved leave of absence, a graduate is not eligible for LRAP.
F. Default. Graduates who are in default on qualifying educational loans shall not be eligible for participation/continued participation in LRAP.
G. Loan Forbearance/Deferral. For purposes of receiving benefits under LRAP, a graduate must be making educational loan payments. A graduate cannot receive an LRAP loan unless they are in repayment status, or will be in repayment status within 30 days of their LRAP application, and will remain in repayment status throughout the term of their LRAP loan. Questions about repayment status should be directed to the LRAP Administrator.
III. Loan Forgiveness and Repayment
A. Loan Forgiveness. After the graduate completes one (1) year of Eligible Employment, 100% of the graduate’s Emory LRAP loan shall be forgiven.
B. Loan Repayment.
- A loan made to a graduate may be required to be repaid if the graduate does not remain in Eligible Employment for one (1) year (unless the graduate is on an approved leave of absence), or otherwise defaults under the terms of LRAP loan. The loan will go into repayment on the earlier of:
(a) the first day of the month that falls after 60 days have elapsed from the date the graduate left Eligible Employment: or
(b) the date on which the graduate otherwise defaults under the terms of any LRAP loan. - Interest charges will be assessed on the unforgiven portion of any LRAP loan that goes into repayment, with the interest rate set at the fixed rate of 5% per annum. In addition, the graduate will follow the repayment schedule set forth by Emory University. Interest shall begin to accrue from the first day of the repayment period. The term of LRAP loan shall be for no more than two (2) years (inclusive of any period of deferment) from the start of repayment.
- Notwithstanding anything contained in this LRAP plan description to the contrary, by making application for LRAP the graduate certifies that all information provided to the Law School in connection with LRAP is true and correct. If it is determined that a graduate has supplied, or caused another to supply, false information, the graduate shall be terminated immediately from participation/continued participation in LRAP, and all loans previously made under LRAP to the graduate must be immediately repaid with interest. Interest, in such circumstances, will be calculated at the fixed rate of 5% per annum from the date of the first LRAP loan.
- LRAP awards for a calendar year will be made based on payments the graduate certifies they have made/will make for that calendar year. If, due to federal student loan forbearance or otherwise, a loan is received for a calendar year but not all the payments are ultimately made, the graduate will be required either to reimburse the amount not paid toward loans or have it credited against any award for the following year.
IV. Application and Loan Disbursement Procedures
A. LRAP Application Procedures. Graduates applying for LRAP must submit an LRAP application and submit, or cause to be submitted, the following documents:
- Proof from a qualified employer of employment and salary (Employer Certification Form), and, as requested, job requirements;
- A list of law school educational debts, including the lender’s name, the date of origination, and the date repayment began;
- A copy of the graduate’s and any spouse/domestic partner’s most recent federal income tax return, as filed with the Internal Revenue Service; and
- Any clarification, verification, certification, or follow-up documents as requested by LRAP Administrator, LRAP Committee, or other University office.
B. LRAP Application Deadline. The application deadline for the 2024 LRAP program is 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2024.
The applicant’s completed application form must be received no later than this date to be considered for participation. Funds are disbursed in a lump sum (see Loan Disbursement Procedures in Section IV.C., below, for details).
Once a graduate receives LRAP assistance, it is that graduate’s responsibility to re-apply each year for continued assistance. All graduates are hereby advised that LRAP terms can change from year to year (see Section VII, below) and that participation under one set of terms and conditions in a particular year does not ensure that those same terms and conditions will apply to a graduate’s participation in LRAP in subsequent years. Each year LRAP participants must re-submit all the information requested in that year.
C. Loan Disbursement Procedures. Emory University’s Finance Division will distribute funds to a qualifying graduate in a lump sum payment through direct deposit to the graduate’s designated bank account.
The University makes LRAP loans directly to the graduate and in no way assumes responsibility for the graduate’s primary obligation to repay the original lender. The purpose of LRAP is to assist graduates in paying their law school educational loans so that they may obtain employment in public sector work, and failure to use LRAP funds for law school educational loan repayment purposes may mean that all loans previously made under LRAP to the graduate must be immediately repaid with interest. Interest, in such circumstances, will be calculated at the fixed rate of 5% per annum from the date of the first LRAP loan.
V. Loan Repayment Assistance from Employers or Other Non-Emory Sources
All LRAP applicants must advise the Law School as to whether they are receiving loan repayment assistance from their employer or any other source besides Emory. The amount of LRAP assistance will be reduced by the amount of loan repayment assistance from all other sources. Thus, a graduate may not participate in LRAP if their annualized loan payments are entirely covered by non-Emory sources.
Any misrepresentation by a graduate as to whether the graduate is receiving loan repayment assistance from any non-Emory source, or as to the amount of any such assistance, shall mean that all loans previously made under LRAP to the graduate must be immediately repaid with interest. Interest, in such circumstances, will be calculated at the fixed rate of 5% per annum from the date of the first LRAP loan.
VI. Tax Information
Graduates are strongly advised to consult with their individual tax consultants regarding the tax treatment of any loan or any other tax consequences of participation in LRAP. LRAP recipients should not receive a 1099 form from Emory for an LRAP award, but they may receive one for any income from Emory. If an LRAP recipient receives a 1099 form for LRAP, the graduate should promptly notify the LRAP administrator.
VII. Plan Administration & Revisions
The Dean’s designee(s) will administer LRAP. The Dean and their designee(s) will annually review the program and suggest changes as appropriate. The Law School reserves the right, at any time and in its sole discretion, to make decisions and interpretations regarding LRAP, to make any changes to LRAP, and/or to cancel LRAP entirely.
All applications for participation, and any questions about this plan, should be directed to the attention of Career Center Director Emily Bramer, Loan Repayment Assistance Program, Emory University School of Law, 1301 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30322 (emily.r.bramer@emory.edu). Emory University’s Finance Division is responsible for disbursement of funds.
2024 Application
Please complete the following:
The LRAP administrator will send you an employer verification form to be completed once your application has been approved.
Questions?
Email Career Center Director Emily Bramer