According to an article by ExecutiveGovernment.com, the federal government increased use of federal loan repayment programs by 22 percent from 2007 to 2008, citing the programs as a key recruitment and rentention tool (according to an Office of Personnel Management report).  During calendar year 2008, 35 federal agencies provided 6,879 employees with $51.6 million in student loan repayments.  Agencies can contribute as much as $10,000 annually, and $60,000 total, per employee; in return, recipients must to commit to three years of federal service.  Of participating agencies, the Justice Department provided the most assistance, spending $23,420,746 on loan relief for 2,610 employees. Other major participants included the Defense and State departments, Government Accountability Office, and Securities and Exchange Commission. (continued)

Beginning today, Income-Based Repayment (IBR) is available as a repayment option for all federal student loans (graduate and undergraduate).  This is great news for WCL alumni!  Under IBR, monthly payments are capped at an amount intended to be affordable based on income and family size.  The IBR application is now online.

For the second consecutive year, Access Group is sponsoring its popular law scholarship video contest and is inviting as many students as possible to participate in this opportunity. During last year’s “One Less Worry” contest, Access Group received 99 video submissions and awarded six winning law students more than $15,000 in scholarships.