TDCAA is seeking information from prosecutors relating to loan repayment. Go to our main page for all the details and, if applicable to you, please complete the referenced survey.

Thanks for your work on this...

JBS

Our pleasure. Keep checking the website for updates!

Barrett,

You and Mo couldn't possibly be paying off years of loans? I remember paying mine about 15 years into my marriage. Can't even imagine how long it would take now. OOOO my.Are you going to Padre?

Despite an overwhelmingly positive response to our survey and almost 800 responses indicating an interest in the JRJ loan repayment program, the application process has revealed something very different.

As of Dec. 28, 2010--6 weeks into the application process and only 10 days shy of the deadline--the THECB has received less than 125 applications TOTAL, from prosecutors and public defenders. That's fewer applications than there are awards to hand out!

What's the deal, people? Talk to us! To date, we've heard three reasons prosecutors have not applied:

1) elected prosecutors are not eligible
2) prosecutors with less than 12 months of experience are not eligible
3) the taxable nature of the award cancels out any benefit

Do any of those apply to you? Do you have an additional reason for not applying? Let us know ...

Also, you have to previously have been on an income based repayment plan--which was not offered by my lender until very recently. There might be others out there whose lenders didn't or don't offer that plan.

Some might be deterred by the three year promise. I am working on my sixth year as a prosecutor and would prefer to continue to do so, but my husband could get transferred at any time and I can't guarantee for the next three years that I will be in a location where there are prosecutor jobs available.

The really tough part is the income based repayment plans do not take into account private loans, which are substantial in some people's cases. So they determine based on income alone what they THINK you SHOULD be able to pay without recognizing that there are lots of other loans that have to be paid, too. The federal loans are easier to defer or lower, so the IBR programs are too expensive because they don't consider the true total picture.

[This message was edited by suzannewest on 12-29-10 at .]

Suzanne, I haven't read the whole rule package this week, but isn't the worst that could happen if you default on your three-year promise that you would have to repay the balance of the payments for the time you didn't serve? In other words, wouldn't you just be right back to making the payments you were supposed to be making?

Maybe I'm not clear on the rate at which the payments get made, and a quick search just now didn't make that any clearer for me. But do they just essentially take over your payments for you? Or do they dish out a larger sum each year than you would actually be obligated to pay for that year?

Best as I could tell, they pay the loan company up to $2500 dollars per year, so if I took that for the next two years and then moved and did not prosecute for the state, I would then owe the government $5000 in addition to the loans that I already owe. I don't think they pay the monthly for you, I think they pay the loan company while we continue to pay the IBR rate.

I could be wrong about that--it seems a little confusing, but I'm worried about what that exactly does mean.

Some how I've compltely missed the loan repayment program application.

Where is this information at?

I did a graduate payment for the first couple of years...now I pay the same amount until I die. Is that income sensitive?
This stuff is super confusing.

So... the idea is that, if approved, the loan company gets a one-time payment per year of up to $2,500? Am I still looking at making monthly payments then - just with a lower balance?

Yes, David, I think that's how it works. You still make monthly payments. It just gets paid down quicker.

It is pretty simple why I don't apply. The income is taxable so I pay more taxes. I'm on income based repayment so since my income goes up, my payments go up but I don't receive anymore money to pay the higher payments because the money goes directly to the lender. With public service loan forgiveness in 8 years my balance will be forgiven anyway assuming I stay a prosecutor. It is basically a useless program unless you make a lot of money and have a low loan balance.

Shannon, what was the final number of applicants?

Per the THECB, the finally tally was 92 applications from public defenders and 264 from prosecutors (with a few stragglers possibly still coming in the mail if they were postmarked by the deadline.)

More than half of the applications were received in the final week of the 7-week application period. No one can procrastinate like lawyers!

Any idea what the application process will be like this year?

I also heard that the payouts may be smaller.

We haven't heard anything official, but based on the projected decrease in federal funding for the JRJ Program, next year's award is likely to be around $1000 (rather than the $2500 awarded in the first year).

We also don't have any information about how many of last year's recipients are dropping out and creating new openings.

Hi,
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