Public Interest Law Loan Forgiveness Fund (PILLFF)

1. A Person is eligible to be considered for PILLFF assistance if the person:
   1. has graduated from the USC School of Law
   2. files a written application for the grant with the PILLFF Committee
   3. agrees to be continuously employed in the field of public interest law for two years after the effective date of an initial grant and for one year after the effective date of any subse- quent grant; and
   4. will be responsible for the full or partial repayment of qualified debt during the grant year.
2. A person employed in the field of public interest law within the meaning of the PILLFF if the person is employed to do legal work by an organization described in subsection 501 (c) 3 or 501 (c) 4 of the Internal Revenue Code or is employed by the State of South Carolina or one of its political subdivisions, and if the employment requires a Juris Doctor degree; provided, however, that the employment is not a judicial clerkship
3. Debt is “qualified debt” if it is debt incurred to pay the expenses of legal education and owed to an institution or governmental lender. Private debt owed to a family member or friend outside the framework of a regular lender is not a qualified debt.
4. No PILLFF assistance shall be used for any purpose other than to repay qualified debt.
5. An award of financial assistance shall be paid only to a person who has become a member of the SC Bar and who agrees to remain continuously employed in the public interest law field for a second year. The award will be paid directly to the lender upon receipt of a completed Applicant’s Lender and Employment Verification and Certification Form. This form will be sent by the Law School at the time of notification of an award.
6. in deciding whether to award PILLFF assistance and the amount of the assistance, the PILLFF Committee may consider any factors that the PILLFF Committee considers relevant, including but not limited to:
   1. the amount of the applicant’s qualified debt
   2. the amount of the applicant’s other debt
   3. the amount of debt owed within the applicant’s household
   4. the amount of the applicant’s income
   5. the amount of income received in the applicant’s household
   6. the applicant’s assets
   7. household assets
   8. household dependents
   9. the nature of the applicant’s employment
   10. the connection between the applicant’s long-term goals and the field of public interest law
   11. the applicant’s prior commitment to public interest law
   12. the applicant’s academic performance
   13. the applicant’s potential for future compensation, including the likelihood that the applicant will move quickly to much higher compensated employment
   14. other available sources of qualified debt repayment assistance
   15. Preference shall be given to recent graduates of the USC School of Law
   16. Preference shall be given to those practicing public interest law in South Carolina

To see a full breakdown of requirements head over to the programs official website.