Georgia student finance commission, gsfc, seeks john r. Justice grant program funds to assist with the recruitment and retention of qualified local, state and federal public defenders and local and…

The Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) received a $122,249 Formula Grant award from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance under the John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act (CFDA 16.816) federal grant program. GSFC will administer the program to assist with recruitment and retention of qualified local, state and federal public defenders and local and state prosecutors in Georgia through September 2024. Specifically, GSFC will utilize its existing student loan repayment assistance programs as a model to provide funding to prior year recipients and accept new applications to fully utilize the state's award allocation. GSFC will promote the opportunities through its website and partnerships with legal organizations. The agency will use a needs-based formula considering applicants' educational debt and salary to distribute funds in support of the grant program's goal of enabling states to establish and maintain student loan repayment programs for public defenders and prosecutors.

Georgia student finance commission, gsfc, seeks john r. Justice grant program funds to assist with the recruitment and retention of qualified local, state and federal public defenders and local and state prosecutors in the state of georgia. Public defenders and prosecutors in the state have salaries far less than their counterparts in the private sector. Gsfc has been an applicant and recipient of the john r. Justice grant program since 2010. By appointing gsfc to administer the program, georgia is able to take advantage of the experience and resources of the state's student aid agency. Several components of the program are modeled after existing gsfc state-funded service cancelable loan programs. Based on the approved allocation, georgia will fund prior year recipients and accept new applications to fully utilize the georgia award allocation. Gsfc will promote the opportunities of the program across the state utilizing our agency website, gafutures.ORG, and through the state bar of georgia, georgia public defender council, and prosecuting attorney's council of georgia. Additionally, promotional material will be created to promote the program statewide. Georgia's recruitment strategy will include prosecutors and defenders. Gsfc will use a "least ability to repay" formula that takes into consideration an applicant's overall educational debt and salary. Gsfc will provide recipients from the prior year the opportunity to apply while promoting the program and recruiting new applicants. The applicants will complete a comprehensive application, acknowledgement of the program requirements and a service agreement.