Eligible Borrowing

Eligible borrowing includes annual law school education loans up to the standard student financial aid budget minus the calculated LIPP Student Contribution and any HLS Grant assistance. Borrowing done to replace assessed parent resources is eligible for LIPP assistance. In addition, up to $3,000 in borrowing for purchasing a computer (when done through the computer reimbursement/cash advance process) and up to $10,000 in borrowing for bar-related expenses are LIPP eligible. Up to $30,000 of combined undergraduate debt and debt incurred while pursuing an eligible joint degree with another Harvard graduate school is also eligible for LIPP coverage. 

LIPP Eligible Borrowing

As a student, the Student Financial Services office calculates a student contribution based on income and assets. However, for LIPP purposes, students who have worked for a full year or more between their undergraduate graduation and entering HLS will have a separate LIPP Student Contribution calculated on their behalf. For those students who worked a full year or more, we protect (exclude) $8,000 of assets for each year worked when calculating the LIPP Student Contribution. While this asset protection does not affect financial aid eligibility, borrowing done up to the LIPP Student Contribution is eligible for LIPP coverage. Borrowing done to replace non-protected assets and the student contribution from income continues to be ineligible.

Current students interested in their LIPP Student Contribution and their LIPP eligible borrowing amounts should log into MyHLS Financial Aid; maximum LIPP Eligible borrowing information may be found on the "Messages" tab.  Alumni will not have access to this site and will need to contact the LIPP Staff for information regarding their borrowing.

LIPP Ineligible Borrowing

LIPP assistance is not available for loans from family and friends, for personal loans from banks or other sources, or for other graduate school debt except as specified above. Undergraduate and joint-Harvard-degree borrowing in excess of $30,000 is not eligible for LIPP coverage. Loans taken out to replace one’s own unprotected assets or imputed summer savings (based on documented summer earnings), or for living expenses above the standard financial aid budget, are also not eligible for LIPP. For married students, the spouse’s contribution is considered part of the student contribution and borrowing to replace this amount is not eligible for LIPP.

There is no retroactive LIPP assistance and no LIPP assistance for periods of loan forbearance or deferment. Interest accrued after loans enter repayment due to forbearance or other periods of non-payment, and penalties for late payment or default on education loans are not eligible for LIPP coverage. In order to remain eligible for LIPP, graduates must provide proof of good standing from the servicers of all applicable loans, including undergraduate/joint degree loans, and may not have an outstanding term bill balance with Harvard University.