Financial Aid | Columbia Law School

Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) for Public Interest Lawyers

Columbia’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) reduces the burden of Law School debt with the goal of making a career in public service financially possible for graduates.

Columbia’s LRAP is one of the most generous programs of any law school nationally. 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. 

Options

Participants have the option of electing the traditional Columbia Law School LRAP, or a program that combines Columbia’s traditional LRAP with the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For detailed information about the programs, please refer to the Columbia Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program description, paying particular attention to the “Combining LRAP with the Federal Program” section. 

• Program description for J.D. Classes graduating on or after May 2008 (Rev. Dec. 2010). 
• If you graduated before May 2008, please email our office for a copy of your program description.

An LRAP Calculator Worksheet is also available for students/graduates to use to get an estimate or vision of what the two programs (traditional LRAP versus the combined programs) provide in benefits. Please contact the LRAP Administrator, Seandell James, for additional information.

Helpful Websites

The following websites provide detailed information about the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program:

• PSLF Employment Certification Package, which includes:
  • Dear Borrower Letter
  • Instructions for Completing Employment Certification for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
  • Employment Certification for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
• U.S. Department of Education: Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Website
• U.S. Department of Education: PSLF Fact Sheet
• U.S. Department of Education: PSLF Questions & Answers
• U.S. Department of Education: Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Plan
• U.S. Department of Education: Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Repayment Plan
• National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS): The U.S. Department of Education’s Database for Federal Loans
• IBRinfo.org: Income-Based Repayment Information
• FinAid.org - The SmartStudent™ Guide to Financial Aid
• Equal Justice Works
• Federal Direct Consolidation Loans Information Center
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services—Poverty Guidelines
• Coordinating Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Programs with New Federal Loan Repayment and Forgiveness Legislation: article which addresses coordinating law school LRAP benefits with the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income-Based Repayment Programs

More Helpful Information

Please feel free to contact our LRAP Administrator, Ms. Seandell James, by email or phone (212-854-1245) for questions related to LRAP.

Columbia Law School always attempts to ensure that, to the extent possible, changes in the coverage and policies of the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) do not prejudice the interests of graduates who made fundamental decisions in reliance on the basic features of the program at the time they entered the Law School. Applicants should be aware that other factors, including fiscal constraints and the changing needs of the legal community, also will be considered in determining the design and administration of the program over the years.  Eligibility and the extent of support available under the program will be determined at the time a graduate applies to the program, in accordance with the rules and policies then applicable.

Documents Pertaining to LRAP

• LRAP Policy. JD Classes Graduating On or After May 2008. Rev Dec 2010
• LRAP Application 2013 - Writeable
• W-9 Form

Enhanced LRAP Fellowships

Several Enhanced LRAP Fellowships have been established at Columbia Law School, and are awarded to students who have demonstrated dedication to and exceptional promise for leadership in public interest law. These fellowships are designed to supplement the benefits of LRAP, and can cover as much as 100% of eligible debt service for loans borrowed up to the cost of Law School tuition for fellows whose annual income does not exceed $100,000. Fellows are selected at the time of their admission to the Law School (no separate application is necessary) and at graduation. Please contact the Social Justice Initiatives Office for more information.