Public service is an important part of Seton Hall Law School’s mission. The increasing
costs of undergraduate and law school education have caused many law students to graduate
with a large burden of educational debt. Legal employment in the public service sector
often comes with low salaries, at least in the early years. Law graduates are thus
likely to feel financially constrained in choosing to pursue a career in public interest law.
To make entry into a public interest career easier, Seton Hall Law School created
a Public Interest Loan Repayment Assistance Program (PILRAP). PILRAP loans offer graduates
interested in public interest law the ability to receive a low-interest loan from
Seton Hall Law to assist the participant in making payments on his or her student
loans.
ELIGIBILITY
PILRAP is available to those who are employed as an attorney with a qualifying public
interest organization. A qualifying public interest organization is defined as a
not-for-profit organization that provides, directly or through public policy efforts,
advocacy advancing the interests of those traditionally underserved by the legal system,
or an organization (whether government or not-for-profit) that provides constitutionally
mandated services to criminal defendants. It is also limited to those with demonstrated
financial need, as evidenced by educational debt and available financial resources. The PILRAP loan amount is determined by the graduate’s level of indebtedness and
the adjusted gross income and assets of the graduate and his or her spouse (if applicable). The maximum qualifying income is $60,000. The funding available for PILRAP is limited. In the event funding is not available to fully fund all eligible applicants, a committee
appointed by the Associate Dean will allocate the available funding in a manner that
maximizes the goals of the program.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
The updated PILRAP application is posted November 1 annually, and is due on November
30.
PILRAP Application
Along with the completed application, the applicant will be required to provide a copy
of their most recent tax return, verification of employment/position, as well as student loan debt
repayment information. Applicants must reapply each year. All recipients are obliged
to submit an annual report to the Office of Enrollment Services.
FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS (PSLF) AND PILRAP
Graduates may take advantage of Seton Hall Law’s PILRAP program as well as the Federal
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Graduates who intend to pursue a career in public service and pursue federal public
service loan forgiveness must consolidate their FFELP loans (federal loans borrowed from SHL
prior to Fall 2010) into the Direct Loan Program and are encouraged to choose Income Based Repayment (IBR) to lower their monthly student loan payments. Additional information may be found at the following websites: Income Based Repayment, Studentaid , and Equal Justice Works (Debt Relief Page).
CONTACT INFORMATION
For additional information on Seton Hall Law's PILRAP program, please contact
the Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management at [email protected].