Through John R. Justice Grant program
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 6, 2017) — Public prosecutors and public defenders in Kentucky may qualify for student loan forgiveness through the John R. Justice Grant program, administered by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA).
Applications must be postmarked or received by Feb. 10. The estimated award is $785 per year. Awards are paid directly to the lender.
Eligible attorneys include prosecutors and public defenders who are full-time employees of the Commonwealth or a local government. Attorneys who supervise, educate or train prosecutors and defenders are also eligible.
Funding is available for loan forgiveness for 48 attorneys for the 2017–2018 fiscal year. Three prosecutors and three public defenders will be chosen from each of the seven state Supreme Court districts, and three prosecutors and three public defenders with statewide responsibilities will be chosen. Recipients are chosen based on their loan-to-income ratio and total student loan debt.
Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Justice. KHEAA has received a grant for this fiscal year. Continued funding of the program is contingent upon the availability of federal dollars.
Applicants must sign three-year service agreements and have annual salaries of less than $55,000. Prior-year recipients must reapply but do not have to sign another service agreement if selected.
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