The mission of LIPP is to enable HLS J.D. graduates to pursue a broad range of relatively lower income employment options while maintaining the ability to repay their student loans.
Many Harvard Law School graduates choose to work in lower-paying public service or private sector positions. Given a significant educational debt burden, such choices might not be feasible without loan repayment assistance. The HLS Low Income Protection Plan (LIPP) was the first law school program to address this problem and remains one of the most comprehensive programs of its kind. Through LIPP, Harvard Law School is committed to preserving freedom of job choice within the legal profession for its graduates.
LIPP reduces the loan repayment burden for graduates in government, public sector, and academic jobs, or in law related jobs in the private sector. LIPP participants pay a limited portion of their annual income towards their annual loan repayment obligations (see Participant Contributions), and LIPP then covers the remainder of their LIPP-eligible loan payments.
Graduates may enter LIPP at any time after graduation if their job, debt, and income qualify; however, LIPP assistance is not disbursed retroactively nor is it available for past-due loans or loans without a payment due such as loans that are in their grace period, forbearance or deferment. LIPP assistance is based on the required monthly loan payments on a standard 10 year repayment. We encourage all students to become familiar with the LIPP policies as they begin to explore their career options. The LIPP staff is available to counsel students and graduates about the program and other aspects of debt management.