Loan Repayment Assistance Program

Tufts University and Fletcher are pleased to offer the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). The purpose of Loan Repayment Assistance Program is to encourage and enable Tufts graduates to pursue careers in public service by reducing the extent to which their educational debt is a barrier to working in comparatively low-salaried jobs in the nonprofit and public sectors. Available both to U.S. and non-U.S. citizens, LRAP grants vary in size but may cover up to the full amount of each year’s student loan payment for debt incurred while at Fletcher. The LRAP committee will consider each applicant’s income, level of indebtedness, and overall need in determining award amounts. In recent years, over 90 percent of Fletcher graduates who applied for loan assistance received an award. The average award for Fletcher graduates applying in 2021 was $1,687. Fletcher graduates may apply for LRAP funds on an annual basis as long as the criteria of the program are met.

The Loan Repayment Assistance Program for graduates of Fletcher has been made possible through a generous donation from the estate of George B. and Helen J. Hargens and from interest generated by the Omidyar Tufts Microfinance Fund.

Program information, application instructions, and Frequently Asked Questions can be found Financial Services website. If you have questions about LRAP, please contact:

LRAP Administrator
Student Financial Services
Dowling Hall
Tufts University
Medford, MA 02155
Email: lrap@ase.tufts.edu
Phone: 617-627-4440

Help for Those Helping Others: Tufts' Loan Repayment Assistance Program has aided thousands of alumni working in the nonprofit and public sectors

"It truly means the world to me to be able to continue my work with an amazing local NGO that has such an important impact on underserved children and also know that my prospect of repaying student loans is not completely out of reach. Thank you for giving me hope and encouragement along the way through this award!"

"LRAP has been a source of invaluable assistance to our family, as my wife and I are both employed in the non-profit sector. Financial support from LRAP was instrumental in allowing me to leverage the value of the Tufts/Fletcher degree in my career. The application process is straightforward and timely, and the staff is very responsive and helpful."

"The awards I've been granted since graduating from Fletcher through the Tufts Loan Repayment Assistance Program have been a very nice surprise. As a professional dedicated to a career in the non-profit sector, balancing the burden of my student loans with my income is not always easy. LRAP provides me with a boost each year to help with my monthly loan payments, and lightens the financial weight (and emotional pain!) of my debt."

"LRAP made my decision to attend Fletcher an easy one, and as a second-year student, knowing about the program allowed me to more comfortably focus my job search on the non-profit and public sectors. Now, as an alumna working in the public sector, I am especially grateful for the support I've received from the program -- LRAP very concretely puts Tufts'/Fletcher's commitment to public service into action, and has allowed me to pursue my dream career without needing to focus 100% on how to repay my loans."

"The Loan Repayment Assistance Program has been a huge help to me. I left grad school with a LOT of student loans, and was worried that I wouldn't be able to work in the field I had trained for, since it doesn't pay particularly well, or that I would face extreme sacrifice. Instead, I am able to live a normal life, dedicating myself to the non-lucrative world of climate policy and feeling that I'm doing what I'm meant to do."

"The Tufts LRAP program was one of the deciding factors in my choice to come to the Fletcher School. Not only did I know I was going to receive a top level education in international affairs, but I would also have continuing support from the University to make it affordable. Receiving the LRAP assistance has provided me with not only financial relief, but lessened my worries about student loan repayments so could focus my attention on not just getting a job, but starting a real career within the nonprofit world."