State Loan Repayment Assistance Programs

There are twenty-three statewide loan repayment assistance programs (LRAPs) operating in Arizona, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York (two programs), North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia. (See Program Contact information listed below). Due to lack of funding, LRAPs in Kentucky and Washington are providing assistance to current recipients, but will not be taking applications, and an LRAP in Missouri has been suspended.

These 23 LRAPs range in age, size and scope. Some are administered by a state bar association or foundation while others are administered through stand-alone nonprofit organizations. Some are funded through state legislative appropriations while others rely on funding from the private sector or from Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) funding.

The statewide LRAPs are summarized in these charts.

• Statewide LRAPs Summary
• Statewide LRAPs Funding
• Statewide LRAPs Eligible Loans
• Statewide LRAPs Eligible Employment

The ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants provides information and technical assistance to bar associations and other organizations that are interested in establishing a statewide LRAP. The ABA's State LRAP Toolkit contains tips for creating new programs.

For more information contact .

State LRAP Program Contacts:

ARIZONA
Joannie Collins
4201 N. 24th St., Suite 210
Phoenix, AZ 85016
602-340-7235
602-271-4930 (FAX)

Web site: www.azflse.org/

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Claudia Withers
District of Columbia Bar Foundation
1615 L Street NW, Ste. 850
Washington DC 20036-5622
202-467-3750
202-467-3753 (FAX)

Web site: www.dcbarfoundation.org

FLORIDA
Paul Doyle
The Florida Bar Foundation
109 East Church Street
Orlando, FL 32801
407-843-0045 (FL 800-541-2195)
407-839-0287 (FAX)

Web site: www.flabarfndn.org

ILLINOIS
Dina Merrell
The Chicago Bar Foundation
321 S. Plymouth Ct., Suite 3B
Chicago, IL 60604
312-554-1206
312-554-1203 (FAX)

Web site: www.chicagobarfoundation.org

INDIANA
Michael Tranovich
Indiana Bar Foundation
230 E. Ohio St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-269-2415
317-269-2420 (FAX)

Web site: www.inbf.org

IOWA
Brett Toresdahl
Iowa State Bar Public Service Project
521 E. Locust, Suite 302
Des Moines, IA 50309
515-244-8617
515-244-8845 (FAX)

Web site: www.isba.org

LOUISIANA
Donna C. Cuneo
Louisiana Bar Foundation
601 Saint Charles Avenue, 3rd Floor
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-561-1046
(504) 566-1926 (FAX)

Web site: www.raisingthebar.org

MAINE
M. Calien Lewis
Maine Bar Foundation
40 Water Street, 1st Floor
Hallowell, ME 04347
207-622-3477
207-623-4140

Web site: www.mbf.org/

MARYLAND
Tamika McKelvin
Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program (LARP)
Office of Student Financial Assistance
Maryland Higher Education Commission
State Scholarship Administration
839 Bestgate Road, Suite 400
Annapolis, MD 21401-1781
410-260-4569 or
800-974-1024

Web site: www.mhec.state.md.us

MASSACHUSETTS
Lonnie Powers
Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation
11 Beacon Street, Suite 820
Boston, MA 02108-3009
617-367-1414
617-367-8815 (FAX)

Web site: www.mlac.org

MINNESOTA
Heather Rastorfer Vlieger
Loan Repayment Assistance Program of MN (LRAP-MN)
600 Nicollet Mall, Ste 380
Minneapolis, MN 55402
612-278-6315
612-333-4927 (FAX)

Web site: www.lrapmn.org

MONTANA
Amy L. Sings in the Timber
Montana Justice Foundation
PO Box 6169
Missoula, MT 59807-9169
406-523-3920
406-728-7416 (FAX)

Web site: www.montanabar.org

NEW HAMPSHIRE
David Snyder
New Hampshire Bar Foundation
112 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301-2931
603-224-6942
603-224-2910 (FAX)

Web site: www.nhbar.org/

NEW MEXICO
Theresa L. Acker
Financial Aid Program Coordinator
New Mexico Higher Education Department
2048 Galisteo Street
Santa Fe, NM 87505
505-476-8411
505-476-8454 (FAX)

Web site: http://fin.hed.state.nm.us/

NEW YORK
Mike Reynolds
New York Higher Education Services Corporation
518-473-3871

Web site: http://www.hesc.com

Gloria Herron Arthur
New York State Bar Association
One Elk Street
Albany, NY 12207
518-487-5640
518-487-5694 (FAX)

Web site: http://www.nysba.org/slapi

NORTH CAROLINA
Esther Hall
North Carolina Legal Education Assistance Fund
3948 Browning Place, Suite 334
Raleigh, North Carolina 27609
919-845-6089
919-848-9259 (FAX)

Web site: http://www.ncleaf.org/

OHIO
Chuck Cook
Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation
10 West Broad Street, Suite 950
Columbus OH 43215
614-728-5396
614-728-3749 (FAX)

Web site: www.olaf.org

OREGON
Cathy Petrecca
Oregon State Bar
16037 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road
P.O. Box 231935 Tigard, Oregon 97281-1935
503-431-6355
503-684-1366 (FAX)

Web site: www.osbar.org

SOUTH CAROLINA
Shannon Scruggs
South Carolina Bar Foundation
PO Box 608
Columbia, SC 29202-0608
803-799-6653
803-799-4118 (FAX)

Web site: www.scbarfoundation.org

TEXAS
Lisa Melton
Texas Access to Justice Foundation
PO Box 12886
Austin, TX 78711-2886
(512) 320-0099 x 112

VERMONT
Deborah Bailey
Vermont Bar Foundation
PO Box 1170
Montpelier, VT 05601-1170
802-223-1400

Web site: www.vtbarfndn.org

VIRGINIA
Mark D. Braley
Legal Services Corporation of Virginia
700 E Main St, Suite 1504
Richmond, VA 23219-2604
804-782-9438
804-648-3917 (FAX)

Enacted Authorizing Legislation

In recent years, seven states have enacted legislation to create a statewide loan repayment assistance program - California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas. The authorized programs in California, Georgia, Illinois, Nebraska and Texas have not been funded.

California
In the fall of 2001, California Governor Gray Davis signed AB 935, which authorized the creation of a loan repayment program for legal aid attorneys, prosecutors, public defenders and county attorneys who handle child support cases. Funding for this program was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. If and when the program is funded, it will be administered by a state agency.

To access a copy of the bill, visit http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/defaulttext.asp (search for AB 935).

Georgia
In May 2002, Georgia Governor Roy Barnes signed into law legislation creating a loan forgiveness program for attorneys working for the public interest, such as prosecutors, public defenders and civil legal aid attorneys. The original bill resulted from the work of the Georgia Legal Loan Forgiveness Task Force, a special body created by Governor Barnes to study the issue of creating a loan forgiveness program for Georgia lawyers entering public service. The Georgia Legislature did not appropriate any funds to support the program. See Ga. Code. Ann. Section 20-3-380 through 387 (2003) for more details.

Illinois
SB 1923, which would provide loan repayment assistance through the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to assistant State Attorneys, assistant Public Defenders, civil legal aid attorneys, assistant Attorneys General, and assistant public guardians, was signed into law on August 24, 2009 and  became effective January 1, 2010. However, no funds have been appropriated for the program. To view the bill which became PA #96-061, click here.

Maryland
The Maryland program, Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program (LARP), has been in existence since 1988. It provides loan repayment assistance to lawyers in public service careers, as well as other professionals. For more details, consult the Commission's handout summarizing state programs.

Nebraska
The Legal Education for Public Service Loan Repayment Act was passed by the Nebraska legislature in 2008. Regulations were finalized in 2008. The program, which would provide up to $6,000 per year to civil legal aid attorneys, has not been funded yet. To view the statute, click here.

New Mexico
In the spring of 2005, the New Mexico legislature passed SB 258, the "Public Service Law Loan Repayment Act" and the bill was signed in April 2005. This bill establishes a legal education loan repayment program for practicing attorneys in New Mexico who work in the public sector.

New York
An LRAP started previously was expanded in 2009 to include assistance for civil legal aid attorneys and public defenders in addition to the state district attorneys that had been in the program. The program is funded by a portion of the fee charged for criminal history searches. To view a copy of the statute, click here. The regulations are at Section 2201.9 of Title 9 of the NYCRR.

Texas
In June 2001, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed two bills establishing state-administered LRAPs for attorneys employed by the Texas Attorney General's Office (HB 2766) and legal aid attorneys and prosecutors working in rural areas of Texas (HB 2323). Under the first LRAP bill, one percent of law school tuition revenues (from resident student tuition only) will be diverted into a trust account for the loan repayment program for lawyers employed by the Texas Attorney General's Office. Implementation of HB 2766 will require a period of time for set-aside funds to accumulate. The Texas legislature did not appropriate any funding for the program benefiting legal aid attorneys and rural prosecutors. To access copies of the legislation, click here and search for HB 2323 and HB 2766.

Bills Introduced in Legislative Sessions from 2001 – 2008

Connecticut
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ (search for SB 53 in 2001-2002).

Florida
The Florida legislature considered a bill that would have created a financial assistance program for qualified assistant state attorneys and assistant public defenders for repayment of eligible student loans. See http://www.flsenate.gov/Welcome/index.cfm (search for S 250 or H 99 in the 2004 session and HB 307 and 5B 1138 in 2001 session).

Kentucky
Introduced in February 2004, HB 483 would have created the Public Service Student Law School Loan Assistance Program to reimburse full or part-time prosecutors (attorney generals, commonwealth attorneys, county attorneys), public advocates, and legal services lawyers for payment of student law school loan expenses. The program would be funded by 2% of Kentucky's Court Cost Distribution Fund up to $1.2 million. The text of the bill as it stood when the 2004 session ended is at http://www.lrc.state.ky.us/record/04rs/HB483/bill.doc

Massachusetts
In 2005, Representative Eugene O'Flaherty of Chelsea introduced House Bill 01772, a petition "to establish a program to provide assistance with the repayment of educational loans associated with obtaining a law degree to law school graduates who are employed full-time in public service and who have income below specified levels."

Michigan
In 2002, an earmark (Section 319 of HB 5648) for  a debt management loan program for attorneys employed by legal services organizations was vetoed by  Michigan Governor Engler. The Governor stated  he did not support the use of State Service Fee Fund revenues for this purpose, as it conflicts with the intended use of the funds as contained in the Casino Gaming statute.

Rhode Island
http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/billtext/billtext03/housetext03/h5288.htm (H 5288 in 2002-03).

Washington
In 2004, Senate Bill 6744 was introduced, which would have created a loan repayment endowment program for attorneys who provide legal services in public interest areas of the law.