Financial Assistance
Repayable Allowance Program
Monthly Payment Plan
Scholarships
Windmill Microlending
Updated: December 2023
Repayable Allowance Program
Review the following information on the Repayable Allowance Program (RAP) for lawyer licensing candidates who need assistance to pay their licensing fees.
About the Program
In 2001, the Law Society of Ontario established the Repayable Allowance Program (RAP), a program offering financial assistance to lawyer licensing candidates registered in the licensing process who demonstrate need and have exhausted all other sources of funds. The RAP is a loan program of last resort for lawyer licensing candidates who are struggling to pay their licensing fees during the licensing process.
Amount of Assistance Provided
The maximum repayable allowance permitted is $5,000 per candidate per calendar year, to a lifetime maximum of $10,000 per candidate.
The amount of assistance provided to any individual applicant will vary, based on the circumstances of that applicant.
Application Deadline
The Repayable Allowance Program Committee (the “Committee”) periodically meets to review RAP applications. Due to the time it can take for the Committee to review the applications and for the funding for approved applications to be processed, applications for RAP funding must be received at least 30 business days prior to the date on which the funding is required. (Note: please review the Examination Deadlines and Dates and also the Dates to Remember webpages for dates by which payment is required. We will endeavour to review completed applications as soon as reasonably possible.)
Because RAP assistance is provided on a first-come, first-served basis, eligible candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as the need becomes known.
Eligibility
Who Can Apply
Lawyer licensing candidates with Canadian law degrees or who hold Certificates of Qualification from the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) may apply for RAP assistance.
A Certificate of Qualification is issued by the NCA to individuals who demonstrate that their legal education and training is equivalent to an approved Canadian common law program.
General Requirements
In order to apply for the RAP, applicants must meet all the following criteria:
- Be currently registered in the lawyer licensing process;
- Be eligible to write the lawyer licensing examinations;
- Be either:
- scheduled to sit the lawyer licensing examination(s);
- registered in the Law Practice Program (LPP) with an identifiable commencement date; or
- registered in the Articling Program and have secured an articling position with an identifiable commencement date; and
- Have exhausted all other sources of funding available to them, including student loan programs.
Please note: Applicants who have not yet received their NCA Certificates of Qualification are not eligible to write the lawyer licensing examinations and, therefore, are not eligible for RAP funding.
Registration in the Licensing Process
An applicant is registered in the lawyer licensing process when the applicant satisfies the registration requirements set out in By-Law 4.
Eligibility to write the licensing examinations
An applicant is eligible to write a lawyer licensing examination when the applicant meets the lawyer licensing examination requirements set out in By-Law 4.
As referenced above, applicants who have not yet received their NCA Certificates of Qualification are not eligible to write the lawyer licensing examinations and, therefore, are not eligible for RAP funding.
Be scheduled to sit the lawyer licensing examination(s) or registered in the LPP or Articling Program
- The applicant must be scheduled to write one or both of the lawyer licensing examinations; or
- The applicant must be registered in the LPP with an identifiable commencement date; or
- The applicant must be registered in the Articling Program and have secured an articling position with an identifiable commencement date.
Exhaustion of other resources
RAP applications are considered by the Committee. In assessing an application for RAP funding, the Committee considers such factors as:
- Debt load;
- Inability to obtain financial assistance elsewhere;
- Assets;
- Employment status;
- Articling salary;
- Number of dependents;
- Expenses; and
- Personal and household income.
In order to satisfy the Committee that all other financial resources have been exhausted, the applicant must provide documentation demonstrating the applicant’s current financial situation, including, but not limited to, the applicant’s:
- Student loan statement(s) from the previous month;
- Credit card statement(s) from the previous month;
- Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment (or equivalent from another jurisdiction) for the previous year;
- Up-to-date bank statements;
- Up-to-date investment statements;
- Most recent paystubs;
- Up-to-date documentation with respect to the value of any assets; and
- Up-to-date documentation supporting any other debts or liabilities, including mortgage statements, loan statements, rental agreements, childcare receipts, etc.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to submit all documentation supporting the applicant’s financial situation with the application. Applications that do not contain the required supporting documentation will not be considered.
Additional Considerations
Pursuant to the Law Society’s commitment to equity and diversity, additional consideration will be given to individuals from the following communities:
- Indigenous peoples;
- Francophone;
- Racialized;
- Lesbian/gay/bisexual;
- Transgender/transsexual;
- Persons with disabilities;
- Mature candidates (40 years of age and older);
- Single parents; and
- Candidates with dependants and a low family income.
Forms
Interest Rate and Repayment Obligations
Please see the Repayable Allowance Agreement (PDF) for information respecting interest rates and repayment obligations.
Repayable allowance recipients may apply for forgiveness of repayment on compassionate grounds such as medical disability or on the basis of inadequate income. Application forms are provided to recipients upon request to the Committee.
Monthly Payment Plan
The Monthly Payment Plan allows candidates to pay their licensing fees, in prescribed equal monthly installments via credit card. Candidates who wish to enrol in this plan agree to monthly pre-authorized charges to be made on their credit card, in equal installments. All candidates must review the information available on the Fees and Forms page regarding Billing and Payment Information and the Fees Schedule before enrolling in the plan.
Candidates may self-enrol by logging into their Law Society account and selecting the link at left regarding the Monthly Payment Plan. Only eligible invoices will be available to add to the payment plan (Licensing Examination fee(s) and the Experiential Training fee). All other invoices must be paid in full by the prescribed deadline listed on the invoice. Candidates will only be able to enrol in the plan by the deadline listed on the Dates to Remember page. Once the deadline to enrol in a payment plan has passed, candidates must pay all fees in full by the required payment deadline if they wish to write a licensing examination or commence experiential training.
Candidates cannot be licensed if they have outstanding fees and have not made the remaining payments as agreed to under the plan. Candidates who wish to be licensed before the date the plan concludes must first pay all outstanding fees on their account.
Candidates enrolling in a payment plan must review and agree to the terms and conditions of the plan. Candidates should note the dates on which preauthorized payments will be charged to their credit card. More information on the terms and conditions will be available when enrolling in the plan.
Candidates may not add or remove invoices from the plan once the plan has commenced and pre-authorized payments have been made. If any pre-authorized transaction is rejected by the credit card company during the plan, all fees become due for services rendered and candidates must pay each invoice in full by the invoice deadline so as not to jeopardize registration and enrolment in any component of the Licensing Process.
Preloaded credit cards, debit cards and electronic funds transfers are not accepted. VISA, MasterCard and American Express are the only acceptable forms of payment under this plan.
**A non-refundable administrative fee will be charged for any plan a candidate enrols in. This non-refundable fee will be charged to the candidates’ credit card at the time a candidate enrols in the plan online
Scholarships
The Right Honourable Paul Martin Sr. Scholarship
The Harold G. Fox Education Fund
Windmill Microlending
If you are an internationally trained immigrant in another country and have recently immigrated to Canada, the Windmill Microlending loan may assist you financially with your licensing fees. Please visit the Windmill Microlending website for more information.