The Pennsylvania Bar Foundation has announced changes to the Pennsylvania Loan Repayment Assistance Program that expands eligibility under the program. The changes include:

• Higher Salary Cap: The maximum annual salary for eligibility has increased to $90,000 for the 2026 loan year
• Rural Incentives: Attorneys working at an eligible legal aid organization that sits exclusively in one of Pennsylvania's 48 rural counties* may be eligible for additional support, depending on available funding.

The Pennsylvania Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) application period began on September 1 and continues through October 15.

The LRAP is a collaboration of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the PA IOLTA Board and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. The program is funded by the IOLTA Board and Pennsylvania Supreme Court using pro hac vice fees, the admission fee charged to out-of-state attorneys seeking to enter an appearance in a Pennsylvania case.

Loan applicants must be licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania or be permitted to practice law under Bar Admission Rule 311, have a valid Pennsylvania Supreme Court-identification number, be in good standing and practice law as an employee of an IOLTA-funded organization.

Information on the LRAP is available at https://www.pabar.org/site/Foundation/What-We-Do/PA-IOLTA-Loan-Repayment-Assistance. Applications can be submitted on the WebGrants Portal. 

Additional details on the program are available by consulting the Program Policies and the Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs relating to the program.

*The designation of rural counties is determined by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. This list is reviewed and updated annually based on population density and other criteria

Source: Pennsylvania Bar News, September 22. 2025