Georgetown Law LRAP: Eligibility, Benefits, PSLF & Loan Repayment

^{Last Updated:September 2026}

For Georgetown University Law Center graduates who want to pursue careers in government, legal aid, nonprofit advocacy, public defense, prosecution, and other forms of public service, student debt does not necessarily have to make those career choices financially impossible. Georgetown Law's Loan Repayment Assistance Program, commonly known as LRAP III, is designed to help eligible J.D. graduates manage qualifying educational loan payments while they work in public-interest careers.

Georgetown's program is particularly important because it is designed to operate alongside the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF). Under Georgetown's current rules, qualifying graduates earning below the program's full-benefit income threshold can receive substantial assistance toward eligible loan payments while progressing toward federal loan forgiveness. For current program information, see Georgetown Law's official LRAP III page.

Students comparing Georgetown with other law schools should also review the TLS Guide to Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Programs to understand how Georgetown's program compares with other law-school LRAPs.

What Is Georgetown Law's LRAP III?

Georgetown Law's LRAP III is a financial-assistance program for J.D. graduates who pursue qualifying public-service employment.

The program is structured around the idea that graduates should be able to consider careers in public interest and government even when those positions pay significantly less than private law-firm jobs. For eligible graduates, Georgetown contributes toward qualifying student loan payments while the graduate works toward meeting the requirements for federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Georgetown states that graduates who work for qualifying U.S.-based government agencies or nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in legally related positions and remain within the program's income requirements may receive substantial repayment assistance.

For a broader look at the types of legal careers that may provide access to loan-forgiveness programs, see LawCrossing's Legal Career Paths That Qualify for Loan Forgiveness.

Georgetown LRAP III at a Glance

Program Feature	Current Georgetown LRAP III Rule
Primary purpose	Help J.D. graduates pursue eligible public-interest and government careers
Full-benefit income threshold	Generally $75,000 in LRAP qualifying income for a single participant without other loan repayment assistance
Benefit above $75,000	Assistance continues on a diminishing basis
Eligible employers	Qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofits and federal, state, local, or tribal government agencies
Employment status	Full-time, paid, W-2 employment
Job requirement	Position must be law-related and prefer or require a J.D.
PSLF relationship	LRAP III is designed to work in conjunction with PSLF
Application entry window	Generally within two years after graduation
Regular application deadlines	November 1 and May 1
Judicial clerkships	Not qualifying employment, although extensions to the entry window may apply
Primary covered loans	Qualifying Federal Direct Student Loans
Maximum payment period	Generally up to 120 payments or until PSLF is attained, whichever occurs first

Program terms can change. Applicants should always confirm current requirements directly with Georgetown Law's Office of Financial Aid.

Who Is Eligible for Georgetown Law LRAP?

Georgetown generally considers J.D. graduates who apply for LRAP within two years of graduation.

A graduate applying more than two years after graduation may submit a letter of appeal explaining why the application is late. Georgetown states that such applications are reviewed by its LRAP Committee and, if approved, may receive funding after timely applications have been evaluated and to the extent funds remain available.

Applicants should therefore avoid assuming that they can spend several years in private practice and automatically enter Georgetown LRAP later.

In addition to meeting the entry-window requirement, participants must satisfy the program's employment, income, loan, and repayment requirements.

Georgetown also states that graduates with an outstanding Georgetown University student account balance cannot receive LRAP funds until the balance is paid. Student loans generally must also remain current rather than delinquent.

What Jobs Qualify for Georgetown LRAP?

Employment is one of the most important parts of LRAP eligibility.

Georgetown currently requires a participant to be employed:

on a full-time basis;
in a paid position;
as a W-2 employee;
in a law-related capacity;
by a qualifying nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization or government agency; and
in a position in which a J.D. is preferred or required.

Qualifying government employment may include work for federal, state, local, and tribal government agencies.

Examples of potentially qualifying employment include:

legal aid organizations;
public defender offices;
district attorney offices;
county prosecutor offices;
nonprofit legal organizations;
civil liberties organizations;
immigration organizations; and
organizations providing legal services to underserved populations.

Students interested in these careers may also find LawCrossing's Ultimate Guide to Public Interest Law Careers in the United States useful for exploring specific public-interest career paths.

Do Judicial Clerkships Qualify for Georgetown LRAP?

Judicial clerkships themselves are not considered qualifying LRAP employment under Georgetown's current rules.

However, a clerkship may affect the amount of time a graduate has to enter the program.

A graduate completing a one-year judicial clerkship may generally receive a three-year window from graduation to enter LRAP. A graduate completing a two-year clerkship may have as long as four years. Georgetown describes these extensions as accommodations for graduates whose clerkships prevent them from applying during the normal two-year entry period.

This distinction is important for students considering a clerkship before beginning a government or nonprofit career.

The clerkship does not become qualifying LRAP employment merely because the graduate later enters public service. Instead, it may extend the deadline for entering the program.

Which Loans Does Georgetown LRAP Cover?

Loan eligibility should be reviewed carefully before relying on LRAP to finance a Georgetown education.

Georgetown's current LRAP III materials primarily identify Federal Direct Student Loans as covered loans. The school also provides limited assistance for qualifying bar-examination loans under certain circumstances.

Georgetown's general eligibility criteria state that LRAP coverage applies to loans borrowed for credits earned toward degree requirements and certified by Georgetown Law's Office of Financial Aid.

When eligible Georgetown federal loans have been consolidated with non-Georgetown federal educational debt under an eligible repayment arrangement, Georgetown states that assistance may extend to the consolidated obligation, but coverage may be limited based on the portion attributable to qualifying Georgetown Law federal loans.

Students should not assume that every loan used to finance law school will automatically qualify.

Borrowers should pay particular attention to:

private educational loans;
undergraduate debt;
loans that were not certified by Georgetown;
loans used for expenses outside approved educational costs;
refinanced loans; and
loans in deferment or forbearance.

Georgetown states that LRAP funds are intended for qualifying loans that are actually in repayment and generally cannot be used for loans that are currently in deferment or forbearance.

Students deciding how much to borrow may also want to review LawCrossing's Mastering Law School Debt: Expert Strategies to Achieve Financial Freedom and Career Success.

What Is the Georgetown LRAP Income Limit?

The central income figure for Georgetown LRAP III is currently $75,000.

According to Georgetown, a single participant who is not receiving another form of loan repayment assistance can generally receive the maximum LRAP benefit when LRAP qualifying income remains below $75,000.

That does not mean someone becomes automatically ineligible as soon as income exceeds $75,000.

Georgetown provides diminishing assistance above the threshold.

For example, Georgetown explains that if a participant reports $80,000 in qualifying income, which is $5,000 above the threshold, the school's LRAP calculation may reduce the amount of assistance available to reflect the participant's higher income.

The precise benefit depends on Georgetown's current formula and the participant's individual circumstances.

Students should therefore avoid thinking of $75,000 as a simple cliff where all assistance disappears.

How Do Marriage and Dependents Affect Georgetown LRAP?

Family circumstances can affect LRAP calculations.

Georgetown states that a participant with a spouse and/or dependents may receive an adjustment to the income level at which full LRAP coverage is available.

The formula described by Georgetown starts with the $75,000 threshold and adds an amount based on 150% of the applicable HHS poverty amount for each additional household member.

Because federal poverty guidelines are adjusted periodically, applicants should verify the applicable figure for the year in which they apply rather than relying on older examples.

Tax filing status can also affect federal income-driven repayment calculations.

Because the interaction among LRAP, household income, federal repayment rules, and tax filing status can be complicated, married participants should obtain an individualized calculation rather than relying on an example written for a single borrower.

How Does Georgetown LRAP Work With Public Service Loan Forgiveness?

Georgetown LRAP III was specifically designed to work in conjunction with Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

The two programs perform different functions.

Georgetown LRAP helps eligible graduates make qualifying loan payments while they are working in approved public-service positions.

PSLF is the federal program through which eligible borrowers may receive forgiveness of remaining qualifying federal Direct Loan balances after satisfying the federal program's qualifying-payment and employment requirements.

Georgetown's LRAP materials generally contemplate assistance for up to 120 payments or until PSLF is attained, whichever occurs first.

That structure can be particularly valuable for graduates who intend to remain in government or nonprofit legal employment over the long term.

Participants should nevertheless independently track their federal PSLF status. Qualification for Georgetown LRAP does not replace the need to satisfy federal PSLF requirements.

Law students who want additional information about careers connected with public-service forgiveness can also read LawCrossing's Public Interest Law Jobs and Loan Forgiveness Programs.

Important 2026 Federal Student Loan Changes

Prospective Georgetown Law students should pay particular attention to federal student-loan changes that took effect beginning July 1, 2026.

The federal student-loan repayment system has undergone significant changes affecting repayment-plan availability and borrowing rules for graduate and professional students.

Federal Student Aid introduced the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) as an income-driven repayment option for applicable borrowers. Students whose federal loans are disbursed under the post-July 1, 2026 system may have different repayment options from graduates who borrowed under earlier rules.

This is especially relevant because Georgetown's existing LRAP materials may continue to discuss repayment arrangements used by earlier borrower cohorts.

Students entering Georgetown in 2026 or later should therefore confirm directly with Georgetown Law's Office of Financial Aid how LRAP III will interact with the repayment plans available for their particular federal loans.

Before borrowing, students should compare:

Georgetown's total cost of attendance;
scholarship and grant assistance;
federal borrowing eligibility;
any private borrowing that may be required;
whether private debt will qualify for LRAP;
the expected salary in the student's intended public-interest career; and
anticipated LRAP and PSLF eligibility.

For additional background, see the TLS Guide to Law School LRAP Programs.

When Do You Apply for Georgetown LRAP?

Georgetown currently accepts LRAP applications twice each year.

The regular application deadlines are:

November 1 for the annual application cycle; and
May 1 for the mid-year application cycle.

Applications are generally made available shortly before each deadline. Georgetown typically makes the November application available in October and the May application available in April.

If a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, Georgetown states that materials received on the next business day will be considered timely.

Because documentation may be required from both the graduate and the employer, applicants should not wait until the deadline to determine whether their position and loans qualify.

Example of How Georgetown LRAP May Work

Consider a hypothetical Georgetown graduate who:

works full-time as an attorney for a qualifying 501(c)(3) legal-aid organization;
receives a W-2 from the employer;
performs work for which a J.D. is required;
has qualifying Federal Direct Loans;
is enrolled in an eligible federal repayment arrangement;
enters Georgetown LRAP within the permitted application window; and
has qualifying income below the applicable full-benefit threshold.

That graduate could potentially receive significant Georgetown assistance toward eligible payments while also accumulating qualifying public-service payments toward PSLF.

The exact award cannot be predicted from salary alone.

Loan balance, repayment plan, household circumstances, dependents, outside repayment assistance, qualifying income, loan status, and other program rules may affect the final calculation.

Applicants should therefore request a personalized estimate directly from Georgetown rather than relying exclusively on an online example.

What Happens If Your Income Increases?

One advantage of Georgetown's structure is that LRAP support does not necessarily disappear immediately when income moves above $75,000.

Benefits may continue on a diminishing basis above the full-benefit threshold.

However, as income rises, the participant will generally be expected to assume a greater share of the repayment burden.

Students planning a public-interest career should model several possibilities:

beginning at a modest government salary;
receiving promotions or step increases;
moving into management;
getting married;
adding dependents;
receiving outside loan repayment benefits; and
eventually moving into a nonqualifying position.

LRAP should be considered part of a long-term financial strategy rather than simply a first-year benefit.

What Happens If You Leave Qualifying Public-Service Employment?

A graduate should carefully consider the consequences of leaving an LRAP-eligible position.

Georgetown LRAP eligibility depends on continuing to satisfy program requirements, including qualifying employment.

Moving to a private law firm, an in-house position, a nonqualifying nonprofit, self-employment, or another position outside Georgetown's employment definition could end eligibility for future LRAP assistance.

A career change may also affect progress toward PSLF.

That does not mean graduates should avoid career changes, but someone relying heavily on LRAP and PSLF should understand the financial consequences before changing employers.

Is Georgetown Law a Good Choice for Public Interest Students?

For a student genuinely committed to public-interest or government work, Georgetown has several potential advantages.

Its LRAP III provides an established framework for helping qualifying J.D. graduates manage student debt, while its Washington, D.C., location provides access to federal agencies, public defenders, prosecutors, advocacy organizations, legal nonprofits, and public-policy institutions.

The financial value of LRAP, however, should always be considered alongside Georgetown's total cost.

A student receiving a substantial scholarship from another law school may ultimately borrow far less, even if the competing school has a less generous repayment program.

Before choosing Georgetown primarily because of LRAP, students should calculate:

expected three-year cost of attendance;
scholarship and grant aid;
likely federal borrowing;
any private-loan requirement;
expected debt at graduation;
likely entry-level public-interest salary;
whether the intended employer would qualify;
whether the anticipated debt qualifies for Georgetown LRAP;
federal repayment-plan eligibility; and
what happens financially if career plans change.

An LRAP can make public-service work significantly more affordable, but it should not replace a complete law-school cost analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions About Georgetown Law LRAP

What does Georgetown LRAP stand for?

LRAP stands for Loan Repayment Assistance Program. Georgetown's principal program for eligible J.D. graduates is commonly known as LRAP III.

What is the Georgetown LRAP income limit?

Georgetown currently provides its maximum LRAP III benefit to qualifying single participants with LRAP qualifying income below $75,000, assuming they are not receiving other loan repayment assistance. Benefits may continue on a diminishing basis above that amount.

Does Georgetown LRAP cover government attorneys?

Yes. Full-time paid legal employment with qualifying federal, state, local, or tribal government agencies can qualify when the position meets Georgetown's other LRAP requirements.

Do nonprofit jobs qualify?

Qualifying employment with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization may qualify when it is full-time, paid, W-2 employment in a law-related position for which a J.D. is preferred or required.

Do Georgetown judicial clerks receive LRAP?

A judicial clerkship itself is not qualifying Georgetown LRAP employment. However, certain clerks may receive extensions to the normal two-year deadline for entering the program.

How soon after graduation must I enter Georgetown LRAP?

Graduates are generally expected to apply within two years after graduation. Later applications require an appeal and are subject to additional review and funding availability.

When are Georgetown LRAP applications due?

The regular application deadlines are generally November 1 and May 1.

Does Georgetown LRAP work with PSLF?

Yes. LRAP III is structured to operate in conjunction with Public Service Loan Forgiveness for eligible participants.

Does LRAP guarantee that I will never pay anything toward my loans?

No. Assistance depends on income, qualifying debt, household circumstances, repayment requirements, outside repayment assistance, and other Georgetown program rules. Participants above the full-benefit threshold may have greater personal repayment obligations.

Does Georgetown LRAP cover private student loans?

Students should not assume that ordinary private educational loans are covered. Georgetown's LRAP III rules focus primarily on qualifying Federal Direct Student Loans and limited assistance for qualifying bar loans. Prospective students expecting to use private financing should confirm eligibility directly with Georgetown Law's Office of Financial Aid before borrowing.

Official Georgetown LRAP Resources

Related Top-Law-Schools.com and LawCrossing Resources

Relevant Top-Law-Schools.com Forum Discussions

The following TLS forum discussions provide additional student and graduate perspectives on Georgetown, public-interest careers, LRAP programs, and law-school debt. Because forum posts may contain historical information or personal opinions, readers should verify current LRAP rules directly with Georgetown Law.

Final Takeaway

Georgetown Law's LRAP III can provide substantial financial support for graduates committed to public-interest and government legal careers. Its integration with PSLF, full-benefit threshold for qualifying lower-income graduates, and coverage for many government and 501(c)(3) legal positions make the program an important factor for applicants considering Georgetown.

At the same time, LRAP should not be viewed as a blanket promise that every educational loan will be paid. Eligibility depends on the graduate's employment, income, loan type, repayment status, household circumstances, timing of entry into the program, and compliance with Georgetown and applicable federal requirements.

The federal student-loan system changed significantly beginning July 1, 2026. Incoming students should therefore verify how loans available to their entering class will interact with Georgetown LRAP III and current federal repayment rules before deciding how much to borrow.

Disclaimer: LRAP policies, federal student-loan programs, income thresholds, repayment-plan availability, PSLF requirements, tax treatment, and financial-aid rules can change. This guide is intended for general informational purposes and is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Students and graduates should confirm current eligibility and benefit calculations directly with Georgetown Law's Office of Financial Aid and Federal Student Aid before making borrowing or career decisions.