Tufts University - Loan Repayment Assistance Program

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Tufts Loan Repayment Assistant Program?

The Tufts Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) is a university-wide program that helps selected Tufts graduates working in public service pay a portion of their annual Tufts incurred education loan bills. Believed to be the first university-wide program of this kind in the country, the purpose of LRAP is to encourage and enable Tufts graduates to pursue careers in public service and to meet an unmet need by reducing the extent to which their educational debt is a barrier to working in comparatively low-salaried jobs in the public and nonprofit sectors.

Who is eligible to apply?

All Tufts graduates who have earned undergraduate, graduate or professional degrees, have incurred educational loans for the purpose of attending Tufts as certified by the Financial Aid Office at Tufts and are employed full time by a public sector or nonprofit (501c3 or equivalent) organization are eligible to apply.

Can I apply for LRAP if my loans are deferred or in forbearance?

All Tufts incurred loans must be in repayment or in a grace period by the application submission deadline date. Loans that are in deferment or forbearance will not be considered for LRAP.

What does Tufts certification of loans mean?

Tufts certified loans are Federal and alternative loans that were verified and certified in the applicant's name through the Tufts University Financial Aid office. Examples of loans that qualify include: Federal FFEL/Direct Stafford, Federal Perkins, Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL), Federal Plus Loan for Graduate Students, Tufts Institutional, and Alternative loans that required certification (i.e., MEFA, Citiassist, Sallie Mae, Chase, Wells Fargo).

Noncertified loans are loans that are not processed through the Tufts University Financial Aid office. Such loans include: home equity loans, personal loans or loans that were acquired without the verification or certification of a Tufts University Financial Aid Counselor.
Applicants who have deferred payments, have defaulted on their loans, or are delinquent on their loan payments are not eligible for the program.
Loans must be in repayment or grace period status.

Do Parent Plus loans qualify for LRAP?

Although Parent Plus loans are certified through the Tufts Financial Aid Office, they do not qualify for LRAP. The borrower for the Parent Plus loan is the parent.

What are public sector organizations?

Organizations that deal with the delivery of goods and services by and for the government, whether national, regional or local/municipal. (i.e. City, State, and Government organizations).

Are graduates of Tufts certificate programs eligible for this award?

No, unless they have also completed a Tufts degree program.

Is there a limit to when a Tufts degree was earned?

No, there is no limit, as long as all other requirements are met.

Are Tufts employees eligible to apply?

Yes, if the employee is a Tufts graduate and repaying Tufts incurred educational loans.

How can I apply?

The following must be submitted by e-mail, fax or mail:

Completed application
Employment Certification Form
Current resume
Current pay stub for applicant
A copy of all recent student loan statements
- Loan statement must provide your name, loan balance, monthly payment amount, and current loan status.
- If your statements are electronic, please print a copy of your detailed loan summary including the required information from your Lender's web site.

Completed application and all required documentation must be received by the September 1st deadline date.

How will I be notified if I have received an award?

Award recipients must notify LRAP of changes to their employment, e-mail and postal address.

When will I receive my award?

Award check mailings begin in late February.
Awards are made in the form of a check that is made payable to and mailed to the award recipient.
EFT service is not available.
Checks will not be made payable to or mailed to the Lender or Servicer of loans.

Can I receive support from LRAP for multiple years?

Yes, but you must reapply each year.

Receiving an LRAP award in one year does not guarantee that you will receive an award in the future.
Award amounts will vary from year to year.

Is there a limit to the number of years or the amount of support I can receive?

No; however, because the program aims to serve as many Tufts graduates as possible, it is expected that individuals may not receive an award if their ability to repay loans increases over time and as the overall number of applicants increases.

What will determine if I receive an award and how large of an award can I receive?

The size of awards depends upon the overall number of applicants, the amount of funding that is available, an individual’s income, level of indebtedness, and overall need.

LRAP is intended to help repay a portion of the recipient's annual loan debt. This assistance should not be confused with loan forgiveness, as it is not intended to cover entire loan balances.

Can I apply to LRAP before I take a job with a public-sector or nonprofit organization?

No, you must be working full time for a public sector or nonprofit organization by the application deadline of September 1st.

If I take a job with a public-sector or nonprofit organization, can I count on receiving an LRAP award?

While the program aims to serve as many alumni as possible, there is no guarantee that any individual will receive an award.

Are LRAP awards taxable?

Tufts LRAP is structured so that awards should not be taxable, pursuant to special federal income tax rules that apply to the discharge of student loan debt (26 U.S.C. § 108(f)).

In accordance with this provision, Tufts LRAP awards are made in the form of loans which are forgiven when the award recipient completes at least nine months of continued public service employment for the specified period.
The nine month employment requirement is measured beginning with the current year's application deadline date of September 1st through June 1st of the following year.

If I receive an award and stop working or change jobs during the year, how will that affect my award?

Any changes to your employment status must be reported to the LRAP office immediately. Failure to provide this information may result in the repayment of partial or all award monies received.

If qualified employment is not achieved within 30 days or is replaced by non-qualified employment, the severance date of qualified employment will initiate repayment. For example:

An applicant has employment which qualifies him or her to apply for LRAP as of the 9/1 application date.
The applicant fails to meet the required nine months of continued employment after this date and terminates employment on 3/1, six months after the application date.
The applicant then has 30 days - until 4/1 - to begin working for another qualified employer.
If the applicant moves to the private sector, or does not find new qualified employment, the applicant will have to repay the three month portion of the loan covering 3/1 (the last day of employment) until 6/1 (last day of the nine month requirement).
Repayment will begin the month following the last date of qualified employment. In this case, repayment for the final portion of the loan will begin 4/1.

How is the Tufts Loan Repayment Assistance Program being financed?

Funds are provided from the Omidyar Tufts Microfinance Fund and the Hargens Loan Repayment Assistance Fund.

Can I apply for assistance from more than one school at Tufts?

Yes, the program is open to graduates of multiple schools and of joint or dual degree programs.

Applicants need only complete one application per year for consideration.
One award will be given per recipient per year.

Who can I talk to if I have questions?

Judi Kennedy
LRAP Administrator
E-mail: lrap@ase.tufts.edu
Phone: 617-627-4440

LRAP, Tufts University, 419 Boston Ave, Dowling Hall - Room 770, Medford, MA, 02155 | Tel: (617) 627-4440 | Email