The Department of Justice Attorney Student Loan Repayment Program (ASLRP) is an agency recruitment and retention incentive program based on 5 U.S. C. § 5379, as amended, and 5 CFR Part 537. The Department selects participants during an annual open season each spring. Any Department of Justice employee serving in or hired to serve in an attorney position may request consideration for the ASLRP. The Department anticipates selecting new attorneys each year for participation on a competitive basis and renewing current beneficiaries during existing service obligations, subject to availability of funds. ASLRP benefits are paid directly to the loan holder, not to the individual attorney. Initial acceptance of ASLRP funding triggers a three-year service obligation to the Department. To receive ASLRP benefits, the attorney must qualify, the attorney's student loans must qualify, and all statutory requirements must be met. Attorneys who do not complete their service obligation must repay the Department for all funds received through the ASLRP.

• The ASLRP Policy
• New for 2009
  
  

The 2009 Attorney Student Loan Repayment Program (ASLRP) selection process is complete. OARM has issued notification messages to all selected attorneys and will continue to follow up until all new selectees respond to confirm receipt.

OARM regrets that it cannot issue a personal notification to the many highly qualified applicants who were not selected, and has asked each component contact to do so on our behalf.

In 2009, there were over 280 eligible applicants. Of those, 56 attorneys were selected to participate in the 2009 ASLRP. These individuals are added to the 2007 and 2008 participants who renewed their participation this year, for a total of 172 participating attorneys Department-wide.

There are four policy changes that affect the 2009 ASLRP.

1.  The maximum lifetime benefit per recipient was increased from $40,000 to $60,000.

2.  “Graduate Plus” loans are deemed qualifying student loans provided the individual attorney took out the loan for his or her own education.  The Department continues to construe Plus loans taken out by a parent for a child’s education, and other third-party loans as ineligible.

3.  Base salary as of December 31st each year will be the date used to determine whether an ASLRP recipient is subject to the “matching funds” policy.  The calendar year (January 1 – December 31) is also used to calculate the amount each individual paid toward his or her qualifying student loans. 

4.  The “matching funds” threshold base salary has been increased from $74,000 - $84,000.