Five million dollars is now available for distribution to qualified civil legal assistance attorneys. The online application is accessible here and applying as soon as possible is critical because the Department of Education will commit these funds to eligible civil legal assistance attorneys on a first-come, first-served basis. 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.
Complete and signed applications will be date and time stamped and processed in the order they are received. Do not submit an incomplete application– if the application is denied because it is incomplete, the Department of Education will send a letter explaining the reason it was denied, and a resubmitted request will receive a new date and time stamp.
The Civil Legal Assistance Attorney Student Loan Repayment Program (CLAAP) repays a portion of eligible federal student loan debt for civil legal assistance attorneys who are employed full-time. Attorneys are advised to understand the program requirements, and to carefully consider the Ineligibility for Double Benefits provision before determining whether or not to apply for CLAAP.
For more information, please view this comprehensive CLAAP
http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/resources/student-debt-relief/civil-legal-assistance-attorney-student-loan-repayment-program