FFLA has increased the annual loan amount available through its Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) from $5,000 to $10,000. Through LRAP, FFLA provides annual loans to qualified civil legal aid lawyers to help them pay off their student loan debts. Loan recipients are eligible for forgiveness if they use the loan proceeds to pay off their student debt and continue to work for a qualified civil legal aid program at the end of the one year loan period.
“The average amount of student loan debt reported by our 2024 LRAP loan applicants exceeds $152,000,” FFLA President Roberto R. Pardo said. “One of the goals of the LRAP program is to recruit and retain qualified civil legal aid attorneys. These lawyers typically make less than other lawyers but provide invaluable service to millions of Floridians in need. Our board intends for this increase to help these folks stay in the important positions and public service careers they have chosen.”
In March, 128 LRAP loans were forgiven, totaling $616,292. Since 1996, lawyers employed by Florida civil legal aid providers have been able to pay down more than $13 million of their school loans through FFLA’s LRAP Program.
Applications for 2025 LRAP loans will open in October, and qualified applicants will be eligible for loans up to $10,000. If they meet the program’s requirements, their loans may be forgiven in March of 2026.
