West Virginia FY23 John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program

The John R. Justice Program has been a valuable resource to the State of West Virginia. Prior to the John R. Justice grant, West Virginia employed 226 prosecutors, 2 Federal prosecutors, 137 public defenders and 2 Federal public defenders. Today, we have successfully retained 240 prosecutors, 2 Federal prosecutors, 160 public defenders and 2 Federal public defenders.

West Virginia has been divided into three regions to allow for the fair distribution of funds, based upon geography and population. The three regions cover the northern, western and southern areas of the state and encompass mostly rural areas, with a more densley populated area located in each region. As West Virginia is a generally rural state, these regions cover counties that are sparsely populated.

To ensure that those individuals with the greatest financial need are awarded the funds, applications will be evaluated based on the applicant's debt to loan ratio, total education debt and household net income. Applications from each category (i.e. Public Defenders and Prosecuting Attorneys) will be chosen from each region, allowing for fair distribution with regard to location and financial need.