The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s commitment to lawyering in the public interest is unsurpassed. The Law School enables students to pursue careers in public service work by providing generous financial support.
Many of our students will lead lifelong careers as advocates for social justice. The first steps on this career path are challenging, and Penn Carey Law is committed to helping our students succeed through funding postgraduate fellowships.
Penn Carey Law’s postgraduate fellowship program has been highly successful in launching the public interest careers of recent graduates. Since 2009, the Law School has supported over 115 fellows, all of whom either remained employed by their original host organization or secured public interest positions in the same field.
Applications for Fall 2025 Now Open!
The application deadline for the Fall 2025 Penn Carey Law Postgraduate Fellowship Program is now EXTENDED to Monday, April 14 at 5:00 pm ET.
Penn Carey Law’s Project-Based Fellowships offer recent graduates the opportunity to partner with a local, national, or international public interest nonprofit organization and design a one- or two-year project to address a particular client need. Multiple project-based fellowship opportunities are available each year through the support of different funding sources.
The following fellowships are currently funding alumni in a wide array of work:
Toll Public Interest Fellowship
University of Pennsylvania Law Review Public Interest Fellowship
Langer, Grogan & Diver Fellowship in Social Justice (supporting projects in the Delaware Valley)
And, NEW for the coming Fall 2025 fellowship cycle, we are excited to share two new fellowship opportunities for work in direct civil legal services. Each fellowship will be two years in duration:
Kroman Fellowship (supporting projects anywhere in the U.S.)
PA Access to Justice Fellowship (supporting projects in Pennsylvania)
➣ Application Eligibility: Penn Carey students in their last year of law school (3Ls) or recent graduates who are concluding a clerkship undertaken immediately after graduation.
Catalyst Fellowships
Penn Carey Law’s Catalyst Fellowships financially support students who obtain post-graduate volunteer positions at organizations in which full-time staff positions may ultimately be secured or which may lead to related employment in the public sector. Catalyst fellowships fund students to work with local, state, federal and international government agencies, public defender offices, public interest organizations, and NGOs. Clerkship positions at courts or tribunals that as a matter of practice do not pay their clerks but provide a unique and career-enhancing experience may be eligible.
➣ Application Eligibility: Penn Carey students in their last year of law school (3Ls).
Cozen Family Voting Rights Fellowship
The Cozen Family Voting Rights Fellowship, supported by a multi-year gift from Stephen Cozen L’64 and Sandy Cozen, provides two years of funding for a graduate to work with a non-profit organization on a project that advances and protects voting rights.
There is a growing need for advocacy to increase voter participation, access, and protection at the federal and state legislative levels, particularly as some states attempt to subvert voter protection mechanisms and Congress attempts to pass new and expansive federal voting legislation.
Projects funded through the fellowship will include legislative or legal reform aimed at addressing crucial voting rights issues, such as voter and felon disenfranchisement, barriers to voter registration, and restrictions on absentee or mail-in voting. Projects will also include a direct service component where fellows will work directly with individuals or groups who are systematically disenfranchised to better understand the hidden barriers to voter participation and gather and analyze data to inform advocacy and drive real change.
➣ Application Eligibility: Penn Carey students in their last year of law school (3Ls) and alumni who have graduated within the last seven years.
Public Sector Job Search Funding
To support the job search efforts of second and third-year students, OCS offers special funding to cover the costs for public sector call-back interviews and attendance at public sector conferences.
Job Search Reimbursement Policies
For car, bus, or train travel to call-back interviews, the Law School will reimburse up to $90 for each round-trip. For interviews that require air travel, the Law School will reimburse up to $300 for each round-trip. Reimbursement for other interview expenses (i.e. hotel costs, transcript request fees) may also be available upon request. Note:Reimbursement for call-backs is only available if the employer does not pay for your travel expenses.
Penn Carey Law students can apply to OCS for funding to attend public sector conferences that are related to their career path. Expenses eligible for reimbursement may include the conference registration fee, travel, and hotel costs. The amount of funding provided will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Note: Student Affairs provides funding to those who want to attend a conference as the representative of a student group. If you are involved with a student group and believe the conference is relevant to your group’s mission, please contact Student Affairs for funding before submitting your request here.
How to Request Funding
To receive reimbursement, you must complete the survey below within two weeks of your travel. You will be informed by the OCS office if your request is approved, and you will be asked to submit a copy of your expense receipts. The Business Affairs Office will then process your payment.
** Reimbursement policies are subject to the availability of funds. **
Toll Loan Repayment Assistance Program
Penn Carey Law is committed to promoting the pursuit of public interest and government careers. Many law students and graduates are committed to public service but find it difficult to accept public sector employment because of their high law school debt burden. Since 1989, the Law School has operated the Toll Loan Repayment Assistance Program (TolLRAP). Penn Carey Law’s TolLRAP:
Enables students to pursue public interest careers without regard to indebtedness by providing interest-free loans to help defray the costs of educational loans.
Provides forgiveness of the loans after each year the graduate is in public interest employment.
Bases the amount of assistance on a formula that considers the applicant’s income and annual law school debt.
Please contact the TolLRAP Counselor at [email protected] with any questions.
The TolLRAP II program was introduced in November 2012 and reflects the change in the treatment of loans by the federal government, including through IDR and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and rewards sustained service through TolLRAP Plus. To learn more about TolLRAP II and your eligibility, please review the Guidelines and the FAQ.
To submit your supplemental documents via email, please send to: [email protected].
A Federal Court issued an injunction preventing the U.S. Department of Education from implementing parts of the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan and other IDR plans. Due to this litigation, borrowers enrolled in the SAVE PLAN will have their loan moved into an administrative forbearance. During this administrative forbearance, while your loans will not accumulate interest, the time will not count towards Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
The U.S. Department of Education is assessing the ruling and will continue to update studentaid.gov/saveaction and ed.gov save with more information.
You can remain in the forbearance until the litigation is resolved. Participants choosing this option will remain eligible for TolLRAP assistance. Your 2024 award will not be impacted by this status. If you elect to remain in forbearance for the 2025 application year, your award will be based on our 2024 calculation. All other eligibility requirements would apply. In this status you will have the option of applying these funds toward your loan balance or other living expenses. We recommend that you consult with your servicer to ensure payments made to your loan are applied to principle during this forbearance.
Note: Funding from TolLRAP is taxable if it’s not applied toward your loan balance (read more on our webpage). TolLRAP PLUS awards are sometimes used in this manner.
You also have the option of switching to a different IDR plan. Participants will choose this option if they want their payments to continue to count toward PSLF forgiveness. You will remain eligible for TolLRAP assistance based on the new IDR plan and monthly payment, provided you continue to meet all other TolLRAP eligibility requirements. The Department of Education and FSA links previously noted, provide instructions for switching IDR plans. Please be aware thatIDR planshave different terms and conditions, including interest capitalization when switching from IBR (Income Based Repayment plan). Borrowers should evaluate these plans thoroughly before making a decision.
Updated 10/1/2023 The U.S. Department of Education released final regulations on its new income driven repayment (IDR) plan, which will provide student loan borrowers with the most affordable repayment plan ever. The SAVE plan will cut payments on undergraduate loans in half compared to other IDR plans, ensure that borrowers never see their balance grow as long as they keep up with their required payments, and protect more of a borrower’s income for basic needs.
The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, like other income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, calculates your monthly payment amount based on your income and family size. The SAVE Plan provides the lowest monthly payments of any IDR plan available to nearly all student borrowers.
The SAVE Plan replaced the Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) Plan. Borrowers on the REPAYE Plan automatically get the benefits of the new SAVE Plan.
The passing of the Cares Act has important implications for our graduates who are currently repaying their loans. The Cares Act provides much needed financial relief of loan payments during this uncertain time. We realize that you may have unique concerns as a TolLRAP and/or PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness) participant.
Please see the below summary and additional links to learn more about this legislation. We’ve also provided a short FAQ section to address the most common questions we’ve received from our participants.
You can also contact our financial aid office at [email protected] if you have any specific questions about your personal situation.
Legislation Summary:
For all federal student loans owned by the U.S. Department of Education (includes all DIRECT LOANS):
Interest is waived until August 31, 2023 (no action required by student/borrower)
Loans in active repayment will be placed on an ADMINISTRATIVE FORBEARANCE for six months thereby suspending repayment until August 31, 2023 (no action required by student/borrower)
These months will count as qualifying months toward all forgiveness benefits including PSLF
Borrowers must contact their loan service if they want to “opt out” of this administrative forbearance
Q. If I’m in the PSLF program, should I opt out of the automatic Administrative Forbearance?
A. No, according to the legislation, this time is counted toward PSLF. You do have the option of continuing to make payments that will be applied directly toward the principal balance during this time period.
Q. Should I make payments during this time period?
A. You should only consider making payments if you are unsure that you will remain in the PSLF program for 10 years. In general, if you are unsure of your long-term career goals, you should always pay as much as you can toward your loans – including assistance from TolLRAP. Any funds received from Penn that are not used for student loan payments, could have tax implications. You should consult with a tax professional for more guidance.
Q. I’ve made a payment after March 13th, 2020 and before my loans were placed in an Administrative Forbearance. What should I do?
A. Any payment you made during the administrative forbearance period (March 13, 2020, through December 31, 2022) can be refunded. Contact your loan servicer to request that your payment be refunded.
Q. My loans are now in the Administrative Forbearance, do I need to return any funds to TolLRAP?
A. No.
Q. Will there be any changes to TolLRAP’s disbursement schedule?
Print Or Download All Student Loan Payment Records
Save Copies of All Student Loan Correspondence
Public Service Loan Forgiveness: Certify Your Employment And Escalate Disputes
Monitor Payments and Auto-Debits
Monitor Your Credit Report
Keep Your Contact Information Up To Date With Your Student Loan Servicer
Verify The New Student Loan Servicer After The Transfer
Bar Loans
TolLRAP offers support for private bar loans up to $10,000. The eligible graduate will be paid out based on a 10-year loan repayment plan, as of the time the loans were taken out, with a maximum annual payment of $1,400. When a bar loan cannot be taken on a term of 10 years, it will be pro-rated based on a 10 year schedule and at the interest rate reported at the time of the application.
For Married Applicants: Filing Joint Federal Tax Returns
Your filing status on your federal tax return will have an impact on your IDR payment amount. To determine your IDR payment, when filing jointly, the government will calculate your payment using the joint income reported on your federal tax forms. In most cases, this will increase your IDR monthly payment. Married borrowers who file separate federal tax returns will have their IDR payments calculated based on their individual income.
Graduates will receive assistance from TolLRAP II based on their portion of the IDR payment if filing jointly (not based on the joint income). TolLRAP II awards will be calculated using the income documented in the Employment Verification Form. This could result in a payment from TolLRAP which is less than your required monthly IDR payment as required by the government.
Married applicants in TolLRAP I filing jointly will have their eligibility determined based on the higher of their individual income or half of the joint income.
Applicants should consider all financial ramifications carefully when determining your federal tax filing status. Consulting a tax advisor is recommended.
Consolidating Student Loans
Consolidation is not always necessary to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and TolLRAP II. Consolidation is only necessary if you have ineligible loans through the old Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL/Stafford) or Perkins student loan programs. Be careful not to consolidate eligible Direct Loans upon which you have already made qualifying PSLF payments before coming to Law School. This action will nullify any qualifying payments made on these loans. The Perkins Loan also has separate cancellations benefits that can become invalid by consolidating this loan. Please review this page on studentaid.gov to determine if consolidation is right for you.
Perkins Loan Cancellation Program
Before consolidating your Perkins Loan so that it can be included in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and thus be considered for TolLRAP II, consider the cancellation provisions already provided by this program. Law graduates who serve in Law enforcement (i.e. prosecutors or defense attorneys) can be eligible for the Perkins Loan Cancellation program. Under this program, the Perkins Loan could be forgiven sooner compared to the PSLF program, which could mean greater financial and career flexibility for the borrower.
Applying for IDR or Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
Submit completed form to MOHELA (it’s recommended that you complete this form each year)
Upon review of your Employment Certification, additional documentation may be requested
MOHELA will notify you if your employment qualifies, and if so, how many payments during the certification period were qualifying payments, the total number of qualifying payments you have made, and how many payments you must still make before you can qualify for PSLF
Additional information on IDR and the PSLF program can be found below:
At Penn Carey Law, there are no financial barriers to taking unpaid internships in the public sector or pursuing public interest work elsewhere in the U.S. during your 1L or 2L summer. Funding for such work is guaranteed, and each summer approximately 190 students take advantage of this opportunity.
