Benefits

Benefit Amounts

The amount of the PSI benefit for which a specific student is eligible is determined by year of initial enrollment as a first-year JD student.

If you have a current financial aid package, you can view your potential PSI benefit by logging in to your "My HLS Financial Aid" account on the right. Click on the "Messages" tab to see a message describing your PSI benefit. If you do not have a current financial aid package, we will send you an email describing your potential PSI benefit early in the fall term.

Student Financial Services has used the guidelines below to determine the potential PSI benefit for each individual student at HLS.

Full tuition benefit

Available to those who enroll at HLS in the fall of 2008 as first year JD students, and those who enroll in the fall of 2009 as first year or second year transfer JD students. 100 public service points must be earned while in law school to qualify for this benefit, and a five-year commitment to public service will be required.

$10,000 benefit

Available to those who enrolled at HLS in the fall of 2007 as first year JD students and those who enrolled in the fall of 2008 as transfer students. 65 public service points must be earned while in law school to qualify for this benefit, and a three-year commitment to public service will be required (six months of which can be satisfied by a clerkship).

$5,000 benefit

Available to those who enrolled at HLS in the fall of 2006 or earlier as first year JD students and those who enrolled in the fall of 2007 or earlier as transfer students. 50 public service points must be earned while in law school to qualify for this benefit, and a two-year commitment to public service will be required. Credit toward the two-year commitment will not be given for clerkship work.

Note: 

Students who attended class at HLS and subsequently took a leave of absence are eligible for the PSI benefit that applies to the JD class with which they first enrolled. Students who deferred entrance to HLS before attending classes will be considered a member of the JD class with which they actually enrolled and first attended class.

Terms of Benefits and Conditions Requiring Repayment

Students who qualify for the Public Service Initiative should also complete the standard financial aid application process. Any need-based grant aid for which they qualify will be subtracted from the total tuition amount and the difference will be designated as a Public Service Initiative grant. In no case will the combination of need-based grant and PSI grant awarded exceed the amount of tuition charged for that year.

Students will sign a promissory note agreeing to the terms of the PSI grant. Graduates must take a qualifying public service job (or a clerkship) immediately after graduation, and must continue in public service employment for 5 full, consecutive years (60 months), or a shorter term as described above for the $5,000 or $10,000 benefit. A graduate who does not remain continuously employed in a public service position will be contractually required to repay the PSI grant according to the following schedule:

Recipients of the $5,000 PSI Grant will be considered to have met their commitment after 24 months of eligible employment. Recipients of the $10,000 PSI Grant will be considered to have met their commitment after 36 months of eligible employment. 

PSI grants are repayable at a slightly above-market interest rate over a ten year repayment term. Should the borrower subsequently enter the Low Income Protection Plan (LIPP), this loan will be treated as any other education loan in determining eligibility for LIPP assistance, under the loan eligibility guidelines for LIPP.

Parental leave

Graduates may take parental leave from employment after the birth of a child for up to one year without being required to begin repayment; time in a parental leave will not count toward meeting the public service commitment. Graduates with children not yet of age to enter ninth grade who work at least half-time will accrue time toward the public service commitment at the full time rate. Work at less than half-time will not count toward meeting the public service commitment.

PSI Timeline for students graduating in June 2010

September, 2009 – Complete online PSI statement of intent
October, 2009 – Complete formal PSI Agreement
November, 2009 – PSI Grant disbursed to student bill for those who sign Agreement
Mid-March, 2010 – Confirm intent to accept PSI eligible job after graduation*
May, 2010 – Update contact information with Student Financial Services
September 1, 2010 – Submit documentation of PSI eligible job*

* for PSI recipients who have taken ineligible jobs or otherwise fail to meet the eligibility requirements, the PSI grant will be withdrawn, and an interest penalty will be charged as described above.