Equal Justice Works reports that a new loan repayment assistance program for civil legal aid attorneys is going to become available soon.

The Civil Legal Assistance Attorney Student Loan Repayment Program (CLAAP) will repay a portion of eligible federal student loan debt for civil legal assistance attorneys who are employed full-time. The attorneys will need to remain employed for three years or pay the assistance back.

An attorney may be awarded up to $6,000 in repayment assistance in 2010 (actually received in 2011), and may be prioritized to receive assistance in future years if Congress continues to fund the program. An attorney may receive a lifetime maximum of $40,000 in assistance.

Five million dollars is available for distribution to qualified civil legal assistance attorneys for fiscal year 2010. The Department of Education will commit these funds to eligible civil legal assistance attorneys on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applications are expected to be due August 16, 2010. The date that applications will be available is unknown, but should be soon. Eligible attorneys should complete the application as soon as it is available because funds are unlikely to cover all applicants
 

More information from Equal Justice Works