The Laurie M. Tisch Loan Repayment Assistance Program at Cardozo benefits Cardozo J.D. graduates who have chosen to pursue careers in public service by providing “forgivable loans” to assist them in overcoming their educational debt. 

During the 2026 LRAP cycle, a total of $311,050 was awarded to 55 alumni who graduated in the prior 6 years. They were provided awards ranging from $100 - $20,750, assisting with their federal and non-federal student loan payments. 

*2027 LRAP*

ELIGIBILITY

Graduation Year:

Graduates who received a J.D. from Cardozo in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, & 2026* are eligible to apply. Graduates must reapply annually and can continue to receive funding pending continuing eligibility. 

*2026 J.D. graduates may choose which LRAP cycle will count as their first year of assistance:

• Option 1: Apply for the 2027 LRAP cycle. If you are awarded funding, the 2027 cycle will count as year 1 of 6 potential years of LRAP assistance. To be eligible to choose this option, by 1/1/2027 you must begin your eligible employment and your active loan repayment.
• Options 2: Wait and apply for the 2028 LRAP cycle. If you decide to wait, the 2028 LRAP cycle will count as year 1 of 6 potential years of LRAP assistance. If you choose this option, you will not receive 2027 LRAP funding, and choosing to wait will not reduce your total years of eligibility. 

Graduation Year Exceptions:

J.D. graduates from the class of 2019 are eligible to apply who:

• Clerked for a judge following graduation and then entered public service.
• Did not qualify for LRAP under the 2026 program cycle on account of their federal student loans being placed into a SAVE repayment plan administrative forbearance. 2019 graduates pursuing this option will need to have their federal student loan repayment changed from the SAVE plan and into another IDR plan that is currently in active repayment. For information on changing your federal student loan repayment plan, please visit HERE. Graduates whose federal student loans remain in an administrative forbearance under the SAVE plan will not qualify for LRAP. 2019 graduates who received LRAP under the 2026 program cycle to assist with only their non-federal student loan payments, will not qualify for an additional year of LRAP funding under this graduation year exceptions provision.
• Did not qualify for LRAP funding during any of the previous six annual program cycles due to a medical leave or parental leave from their qualified public service employment. Graduates may apply for a “leave of absence” for up to 1 year under certain circumstances (i.e. medical leave or parental leave).  Thus, holding the “leave” year in abeyance and allowing for an additional year to apply for the program. The Graduate must inform the LRAP Committee prior to taking the “leave”, and it is in the discretion of the LRAP Committee whether to grant a “leave”.

Employment - Eligible Jobs:

A paid full-time law-related job held during the 2027 calendar year that, in the sole determination of Cardozo, is of a public service nature, qualifies. A "law-related" job is one that, as determined by Cardozo, uses the applicant's legal training to a significant extent. To qualify, the position must be with, or under the direction of, (1) a federal, state, or local governmental unit, or (2) an organization that is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. "Public Service" jobs may include legal aid societies, public defenders' offices, district attorneys' offices, legal services offices, governmental agencies, 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations dedicated to public interest law, international human rights organizations that are 501(c)(3) organizations or governmental bodies, clinical law teaching jobs, and state or federal judicial clerkships.

Positions with other types of organizations, including non-profits exempt under other parts of Section 501(c) (for example, 501(c)(4) advocacy organizations, 501(c)(5) labor unions, and 501(c)(6) bar or trade associations), private law firms, and for-profit companies, do not qualify. A volunteer position of any kind does not qualify for LRAP.

Please note - starting with the 2027 LRAP cycle, graduates serving as state or federal judicial clerks are now eligible to apply for LRAP assistance. 

A volunteer position does not qualify for LRAP.

Income Cap Requirements:

Please see the table below. If your salary exceeds these parameters and/or you possess exigent circumstances, please include a detailed explanation and supporting documentation with your LRAP application, and the committee will take it under consideration.

Graduation Year   Salary Cap

• 2026                  $100,000
• 2025                  $100,000
• 2024                  $105,000
• 2023                  $110,000
• 2022                  $115,000
• 2021                  $123,000
• 2020                  $130,000

Minimum Student Loan Debt Burden:

Graduates who meet the income requirements must have an individual accumulated educational debt burden of $60,000 or more. 

Eligible Types of Student Loan Debt:

All documented undergraduate and graduate educational student loans (except personal loans from family or friends) in active repayment status, which means, payments greater than $0 that are required each month/quarter. Student loans that are in deferment or forbearance, or have an Income Driven Repayment set at $0 per month, will not be considered. Eligible student loan types include federal (Stafford, Graduate PLUS, Consolidated), Perkins, private, state, refinanced, and institutional. Eligible loan types must be officially considered a "student loan". Loans that have been refinanced by home equity loans, non-student loan bank loans, or family/parent loans, are not eligible for LRAP assistance.

Do I need to reapply for LRAP funding each year?

Yes! Cardozo's LRAP is administered annually. Graduates must apply every program year and demonstrate eligibility annually in order to receive LRAP funding. 

ASSISTANCE

How much assistance is a participant eligible to receive?

Loan repayment assistance will be awarded in varying amounts. The committee assesses the individual need of eligible applicants by reviewing the applicant’s income, resources, monthly student loan obligation, and monthly expenses. In addition, the committee reviews all additional materials submitted by the applicant that are relevant to the individual's financial circumstances. Funding amounts also depend upon the number of eligible applicants during each funding cycle. During the 2026 LRAP cycle, awards ranged from $100 - $20,750.

How many awards will be made?

Please note, no representation is or can be made as to the number of awards or the amounts thereof that will be made in any year or during the continuation of this program, which may be discontinued at any time without notice.

How will awards be made?

LRAP awards are made in the form of a forgivable loan. The recipients will sign a promissory note for this loan and MUST retain eligibility for the full program year in order to have the loan forgiven. Recipients maintain eligibility during the LRAP cycle by remaining in qualified employment, with an eligible salary, and showing that their student loan payments continue to be in active repayment consistent with the amount indicated upon their initial application. Recipients will be notified to submit required documentation regarding eligibility for forgiveness approximately 1 calendar year following disbursement of the award.

LRAP awards are disbursed directly to eligible recipients in one lump-sum payment. This LRAP funding is to be used by the recipient to assist with covering a percentage of their monthly / quarterly student loan payments during the program cycle (January 2027 - December 2027). LRAP awards are not sent directly to recipients' student loan servicers. 

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Who will decide who receives an award?

A committee made up of Cardozo School of Law administrators has been designated by the Dean of the Law School to review applications and determine eligibility, based on the terms of the Program.  All applications will be kept in strict confidence.

2027 LRAP APPLICATION PROCEDURE & TIMELINE

Please carefully read through ALL of the application materials.

• Application: click HERE
• Application submission DEADLINE: November 2, 2026. 
• Award notifications and promissory notes are expected to be issued via email around mid/end of November 2026 (prior to Thanksgiving).
• Completed promissory notes and authorization forms will be due mid-December 2026.
• LRAP awards will be generated via direct deposit on or about the end of January 2027.   

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Cardozo's LRAP Committee at cardozolrap@yu.edu.