Student Loan Repayment Assistance Programs
Student loan debt can make it difficult for people to begin and continue careers in legal aid. The California Access to Justice Commission administers two programs that provide student loan support to eligible legal aid professionals.
Explore the programs below to learn about eligibility and the assistance available.
Contact the LRAP Team
Email: lrap@calatj.org
Phone: (510) 629-1264
Loan Repayment Assistance Program
The Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) helps eligible employees of participating nonprofit legal aid organizations repay their student loans. The program is available to attorneys and other nonprofit staff whose work supports access to justice for low-income and vulnerable Californians.
Who it supports: Eligible attorneys and non-attorney staff at participating nonprofit legal aid organizations.
California PSLF Safety Net
The California PSLF Safety Net protects eligible legal aid and nonprofit immigration attorneys if ruling under a new federal regulation causes their nonprofit employer to lose eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
A federal court declared the federal regulation invalid on June 30, 2026 but the ruling may be stayed or appealed. If an eligible nonprofit loses PSLF eligibility under the regulation, CalATJ can reimburse qualifying attorneys for monthly federal student loan payments that otherwise would have been forgiven through PSLF.
Who it supports: Eligible lawyers working at nonprofit legal services organizations who lose eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness due to their employer’s work representing immigrants or marginalized communities.
Which Program Is Right for You?
At a Glance: CalATJ LRAP and the California PSLF Safety Net
| CalATJ LRAP | California PSLF Safety Net | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Helps legal aid lawyers repay their student loans while working in public interest law. | Protects legal aid lawyers if their nonprofit loses PSLF eligibility under the new federal regulation, 34 CFR §685.219. |
| When it applies | Available to participating organizations and their eligible attorneys. | It applies if the Secretary of Education denies PSLF eligibility to a California legal aid nonprofit under the federal regulation, and it reimburses payments that would have been forgiven (after 120 qualifying payments). |
| Who funds it | Funded by participating legal services organizations and other contributors. | Fully funded by the State of California. Organizations need not contribute. |
| Organization contribution required? | Yes. Organizations participate by contributing to LRAP. | No. There is no cost to organizations. |
| Who is eligible? | Eligible attorneys at participating LRAP organizations. | Eligible attorneys working at qualifying nonprofit legal services organizations that have lost PSLF eligibility. |
| What does it provide? | Monthly reimbursement of eligible student loan payments while participating in LRAP. | Monthly reimbursement of eligible federal student loan payments that would have been forgiven (after 120 payments that would have qualified before the regulation) while the organization remains ineligible for PSLF. |
| Relationship to PSLF | Designed to help attorneys make their monthly loan payments while they work toward federal PSLF. | Designed to help attorneys when their monthly student loan payments would have been forgiven under the rules before the new regulation. |
| Duration | Continues as long as funding and eligibility requirements are met. | Intended as a temporary safety net lasting long enough for litigation challenges to become final, or until a new Secretary of Education is appointed by a new president. State funding has been appropriated through June 2030. |
| Tax treatment | Reimbursements are structured to be tax advantaged and excluded from recipients' taxable income. | Reimbursements are structured to be tax advantaged and excluded from recipients' taxable income. |
| Cost to attorneys | None. | None. |
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FAQs for legal aid staff interested in getting LRAP assistance
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For information for legal services organizations
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Complete the LRAP Survey