JANET L. HOFFMAN LOAN ASSISTANCE REPAYMENT PROGRAM (LARP)

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JANET L. HOFFMAN
LOAN ASSISTANCE REPAYMENT PROGRAM (LARP)

Who may apply: Maryland residents who provide public service in Maryland State or local government or nonprofit agencies in Maryland to low income or underserved residents.

How to apply: Complete and file a LARP General application. Third-year law students must file a Pre-Graduation Law Application and LARP General application.

When to apply: LARP General applications become available in June. The application deadline is September 30. Pre-Graduation Law Applications become available in September of your third year of law school.

Eligible employment fields: 2008-2009 eligible employment fields:

Lawyers (judicial clerks in any court and policy analysts are not eligible; principle part of the position must provide legal services to low income residents in Maryland who cannot afford legal services)
Nurses (degree- or diploma-holding registered nurses; school nurses are not eligible)
Nurse Faculty Members
Physical and Occupational Therapists
Social Workers (either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work)
Speech Pathologists
Physician Assistants
Teachers at any level or subject field who teach in schools designated as Federal Title I or Schools Identified for Improvement by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). The official list of schools is available at the bottom of the LARP program description page (see below). Head Start Programs are not eligible.
Teachers with the following areas of certification:
technology education (secondary);
chemistry (secondary);
computer science (secondary);
English for Speakers of other Languages-ESOL (elementary & secondary);
health occupations (secondary);
Latin (secondary);
mathematics (secondary);
physics (secondary);
earth/space science (secondary);
physical science (secondary);
dance (elementary and secondary);
reading specialist (elementary & secondary);
speech language pathology (educational service area);
Spanish (secondary); and
special education: generic - infant to grade 3; grades 1 through 8; grades 6 to adult; hearing impaired; severely & profoundly disabled; visually impaired.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

You must have earned a degree from a college in Maryland, or from any law school, or a resident teacher certificate from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). You must be employed full-time (35+ hours per week) in state or local government or in a nonprofit organization in Maryland. Your employer must help low income, underserved residents or underserved areas in the state. You must have educational loans from a university, government, or commercial source that you used to pay college expenses. You may not be in default on a loan. Your annual gross salary cannot exceed $60,000. If married, your annual gross salary cannot exceed $60,000, and your combined salaries cannot exceed $130,000. If employed as a nurse faculty member, your annual gross salary cannot exceed $75,000. If married, your annual gross salary cannot exceed $75,000, and your combined salaries cannot exceed $160,000. This is a service-based program. Prior service obligations from other State of Maryland scholarships must be completed by July 1, 2008. One position cannot fulfill two service obligations simultaneously.

PRE-GRADUATION LAW STUDENT REQUIREMENTS

You must be a law student attending University of Maryland, Baltimore or University of Baltimore and in your third and final year of school. You must submit a Pre-Graduation Law Application before graduation in May, together with verification of an employment offer. You must submit a LARP General application by September 30 and meet all eligibility requirements listed above.

SELECTION

Applicants will be grouped according to eligible employment field. Within employment fields, individuals will be ranked according to graduation date, then application complete date. If individuals have identical graduation dates and application complete dates, applicants with the lowest income will be awarded first. Priority is given to individuals who have graduated from an institution of higher education in the last three years. Priority employment fields established by law are legal services and nursing. Priority for awarding will also be given to applicants who are employed as nurse faculty members or applicants who teach in schools designated as federal Title I, schools Identified for Improvement by MSDE, or who teach in designated critical shortage subject fields.

AWARD AMOUNT

Awards will be determined by an applicant’s overall reported educational debt at the time of application. Recipients will lock-in to an award level that contains set award amounts. Award funds are distributed annually over a three (3) year period as long as the recipient remains eligible and continues to submit the required annual employment, lender and tax documentation by the September 30 deadline.

Total Debt Overall Award Limit Yearly Payment
$75,001 - Over $30,000 $10,000
$40,001 - $75,000 $18,000 $6,000
$15,001 - $40,000 $9,000 $3,000
$15,000 - Below $4,500* $1,500*
*Payment amount cannot exceed total debt; amount will be adjusted

RENEWING AN AWARD

Recipients of lock-in awards are required to submit annual employment, lender and tax documentation by the September 30 deadline for each year that they receive funding. Failure to submit required documentation by the deadline or failure to report changes in your employment status and/or salary level through out the service/award years will make you ineligible for the award.