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The John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program provides loan repayment assistance to encourage qualifying individuals to pursue careers as state and federal public defenders and state prosecutors to protect the rights of this State’s most vulnerable citizens or provide quality enforcement of State law.

Implementing Section 952 of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (42 USC 3797cc-21) and Section 20(b) of the Illinois Higher Education Student Assistance Act [110 ILCS 947] and authorized by Section 20(f) of that Act.

Implementing Section 952 of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (42 USC 3797cc-21) and Section 20(b) of the Illinois Higher Education Student Assistance Act [110 ILCS 947] and authorized by Section 20(f) of that Act.

23 ILLINOIS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE CH. XIX, SEC. 2754

The program encourages qualifying individuals to pursue careers as state and federal public defenders and state prosecutors to protect the rights of this State’s most vulnerable citizens or provide quality enforcement of State law.

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Individuals;

A qualified applicant for loan repayment must be: a) a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen; b) a licensed attorney in good standing with the Illinois bar; c) a borrower who is not in default on a federal guaranteed educational loan; d) a borrower with an outstanding balance due on an eligible federal educational loan; e) employed as a public defender or prosecutor (prosecutors who are employees of the federal government are not eligible); and f) required to enter into a Service Agreement in which the applicant, in exchange for loan repayment assistance, promises to remain employed as a public defender or prosecutor for an initial three-year term of service or any further term of service identified in a subsequent Service Agreement.

Individuals

Direct Payments for Specific Use

Education

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Complete the John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program Application (including all required documentation), along with either 1) Service Agreement, 2) Service Agreement – Secondary Term of Service, or 3) Service Agreement – Acknowledgment of Benefit. If your application and/or service agreement are incomplete, ISAC will notify you and you will have the opportunity to furnish missing information. Your application will be considered for processing as of the date it is complete and all required information has been received at ISAC's Deerfield office.

Recipients are selected from among qualified new applicants, as well as those who file timely renewal applications by the published due date. The total amount of awards each year is contingent upon available funding. Applications received after the due date will only be considered if funding remains. First preference will be given to renewal applicants provided that the recipient continues to meet the eligibility requirements. Additionally, applicants not receiving benefits under another program that provides loan repayment assistance for the eligible loans covered by the Justice Program will receive priority consideration.

Allocation of program funds is equally distributed between prosecutors and public defenders. A formula that ranks each applicant according to ability to repay their student loans is used to distribute awards within each of five statewide appellate districts and a sixth category for statewide prosecutors (assistant attorneys general and assistant appellate prosecutors). The amount of the award is also determined by the formula. The amount of funding for each of the five appellate districts is allocated according to the number of prosecutors and defenders in each district, based on the percentage of the state's total number of prosecutors and public defenders that are employed within each of the districts. Funding for the additional statewide prosecutor category is based on the percentage of the total number of prosecutors that are employed in a statewide capacity. The award amount is based on the applicant's remaining balance on eligible educational loans, not to exceed $10,000 per year. Proceeds will be remitted directly to the holder(s) of the loan(s) to be repaid in a one-time payment. Recipients must contact the loan holder(s) to arrange for payment to be applied to the loan(s). Responsibility for making the monthly loan payments and fulfilling the terms of the repayment agreement remains with the recipient.

Applications are typically accepted in February or March

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A separate application must be complete for each subsequent year an eligible applicant wishes to apply.

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This U.S. Department of Justice program is administered by ISAC in Illinois and is used to help prosecutor and public defender offices attract and retain talented attorneys by providing student loan repayment assistance to state and federal public defenders and state prosecutors who agree to remain in their positions for at least three years. The annual awards to qualified defenders and prosecutors may be up to $4,000, with an aggregate total of up to $60,000, to repay their student loan debt. The number of awards made through this program, as well as the individual dollar amount awarded, are subject to sufficient annual appropriations by the federal government. If the employment commitment is not fulfilled, any amount received must be repaid.

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The annual awards to qualified defenders and prosecutors may be up to $10,000 (dependent on funding), up to an aggregate total of $60,000, to repay their student loan debt. If the employment commitment is not fulfilled, any amount received must be repaid.

The program encourages qualifying individuals to pursue careers as state and federal public defenders and state prosecutors to protect the rights of this State’s most vulnerable citizens or provide quality enforcement of State law.

https://www.isac.org/e-library/documents/administrative-rules/2023-24-isac-rules/2754-JRJSLRP.pdf The John R. Justice Loan Repayment Program is exempt from the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (30 ILCS 708) because loans are repaid on behalf of an individual beneficiary.

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1755 Lake Cook Road Deerfield, IL 60015-5209

https://www.isac.org/students/after-college/forgiveness-programs/john-r-justice-student-loan-repayment-program.html

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12/28/2021

FY 2016 : $38,300
FY 2017 : $41,000
FY 2018 : $200,000
FY 2019 : $300,000
FY 2020 : $300,000
FY 2021 : $300,000
FY 2022 : $300,000
FY 2023 : $300,000
FY 2024 : $80,792