From Heather Jarvis, Senior Program Manager, Equal Justice Works:
I write to give you an important and time sensitive update about what began as the “Harkin bill,” became authorized by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, and is now entitled the Civil Legal Assistance Attorney Student Loan Repayment Program (CLAAP).
Five million dollars is now available for distribution to qualified civil legal assistance attorneys with federal student loan debt. The Department of Education will commit these funds to eligible civil legal assistance attorneys on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications are expected to be due August 16, 2010. The date that applications will be available is unknown, but should be soon. I will let you know as soon as the application period opens, and those who wish to apply should complete the application as soon as it is available because funds are unlikely to cover all applicants.
As usual, the program includes some complexity. I have prepared and posted a comprehensive CLAAP webpage, and have scheduled two webinars to help civil legal assistance attorneys interested in the program. I wish I could counsel each attorney individually, but unfortunately I cannot. Everything we know about the program is on that webpage, and I expect you’ll find the answers you need there.