NCLEAF's new funding year begins October 1, 2008.

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2008-2009 Program Guidelines
Participant's Employer Certification Form
Domestic Partner's Employer Certification Form
Participant's Online Lender Authorization Form
Letter for Law School LRAPS

Graduates from out-of-state law schools who are accepted as NCLEAF Participants must pay each year 10% of the total annual assistance received from NCLEAF as an administrative cost. NCLEAF hopes that these Participants will obtain these funds from their respective law schools and will assist in this process by sending information to the appropriate administrators identified by the Participant. However, the burden is on the Participant to obtain this fee, and it is up to the Participant to pay the required cost, if his or her law school does not.

It is understood that all of the North Carolina law schools will subsidize their graduates applying to NCLEAF for assistance by contributing 10% of the total award made by NCLEAF to that North Carolina law school’s graduates in the prior funding cycle. However, should a North Carolina law school NOT make their proportionate contribution, NCLEAF reserves the right to require graduates from that school who are accepted into the NCLEAF program to pay the same administrative fee as graduates from out of state, i.e. 10% of the annual award.

It is the responsibility of the Participant to keep all loans current by payment of the required amounts in full and on time in order to continue participation in the Program. Should a Participant experience exceptional circumstances which prevent him/her from making his/her loan payments on time and in full, the Participant must notify the NCLEAF staff. The matter will be referred to the Special Circumstances Committee of the NC LEAF Board of Directors. 

Throughout the year, NCLEAF will verify on a regular basis certain employment and loan information to determine Applicant/Participant's continued eligibility. To continue to receive NCLEAF funding, a Participant must provide, in a timely manner, appropriate signed documents to enable NCLEAF to verify continued full-time, law-related, eligible employment, qualifying salary and income under these Guidelines, and appropriate loan repayment status for the Participant and his/her domestic partner, if applicable. In addition, Participant must assist NCLEAF in obtaining the above information should the employer, lender, or other source of information so require. This includes providing NCLEAF with Participant’s pin number for his or her lender so that NCLEAF staff may access Participant’s loan payment history online, if such information is available in this format, in order to verify that loans are current. The Participant shall notify NCLEAF of any changes during the year in financial, employment, and/or loan or debt repayment information for the Participant and/or his/her domestic partner. In order to remain in the Program, every year each Participant shall also provide updated information, signed documents of the nature described above, a copy of his/her tax return and a copy of his/her domestic partner’s tax return from the preceding year.

The level of assistance will be calculated once each year based on the then-current information. This annual assistance will be divided and distributed to the Participant in installments, except as provided below. 

Payments will be recalculated or eliminated during the funding cycle in the following situations:

1) Participant leaves Eligible Employment (Immediately disqualifies Participant from receiving further payments, may trigger loan repayment. 

2) Participant's loans are not current (Disqualifies or suspends qualification for participation in Program depending on the determination of the Special Circumstances Committee of the NCLEAF Board of Directors.)

3) Participant's loan payments change significantly, e.g., due to renegotiation or consolidation. (Significant changes in Participant's obligation to his/her lender(s) may cause recalculation of payments from NCLEAF; minor changes, e.g., those due to small changes in interest rates on an adjustable rate loan usually will not cause recalculation of payments for the present funding cycle.)

4) Eligible loan is paid off. (If Participant has remaining eligible loan(s) for which payments are still due, payment to Participant will be recalculated based on those remaining loans. If all eligible loan(s) are paid off, Participant shall no longer receive payments from NCLEAF.)

5) Participant's Eligibility Determination Income increases significantly but is still below the applicable income guidelines.

Failure to notify the NCLEAF Board of changes and to request consideration by the for Special Circumstances Committee may result in termination from the program and disqualify Participant for the transition phase.