BJA FY 21 John R. Justice (JRJ) Program Formula Grant Solicitation | O BJA 2021 44009

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2021 44009

The BJA FY 21 John R. Justice (JRJ) Program Formula Grant Solicitation is a U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) funding opportunity designed to help recruit and retain qualified attorneys in public service by easing the burden of student loan debt. The program, commonly called the John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program (JRJSLRP), provides student loan repayment assistance for public defenders and prosecutors who commit to continued service in those roles. In practical terms, the grant supports government efforts to keep experienced attorneys in positions that are often difficult to staff and sustain over time due to comparatively lower salaries and high caseload demands.

This is a formula-based grant, meaning funding amounts are allocated to eligible jurisdictions based on an established formula rather than a purely competitive scoring process. Eligible allocations are posted annually on the JRJ program web page, and beneficiary eligibility details are also maintained on that site. The recipients (states and territories) then administer the program within their jurisdiction and make payments directly to the loan holders on behalf of approved beneficiaries, rather than paying funds directly to individual attorneys. That structure is intended to ensure the funds are used strictly for qualifying educational debt and to simplify accountability and tracking.

Eligibility to apply is narrowly limited. Applicants must be state or U.S. territory government agencies that have been officially designated by the Governor (or, in the case of the District of Columbia, the Mayor) to administer the JRJ program. For this solicitation, the term "state" is defined broadly and includes all U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and U.S. territories and commonwealths, specifically Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. While individual prosecutors and defenders are the ultimate beneficiaries, they do not apply directly to BJA; instead, they apply through their state or territory JRJ administering agency under that jurisdiction's program rules and procedures.

The core purpose of the funding is to provide loan repayment assistance to eligible local, state, and federal public defenders, as well as local and state prosecutors, who agree to an extended service commitment. The solicitation points applicants to the JRJ web page for the definitive list of eligible beneficiaries and other program specifics, reflecting that eligibility definitions and guidance may be maintained and updated centrally. Administratively, states and territories function as the pass-through entity that sets up selection processes, verifies eligibility, confirms qualifying loans, and ensures payments are made correctly to lending institutions.

The solicitation also includes an important policy condition tied to Executive Order 13929, Safe Policing for Safe Communities, which affects eligibility for FY 2021 DOJ discretionary grant funding. Under this requirement, state, local, and campus law enforcement agencies must either be certified by an approved independent credentialing body or have started the certification process to be eligible for DOJ discretionary grants in FY 2021. To qualify for certification, a law enforcement agency must meet two mandatory conditions: first, its use-of-force policies must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws; second, its use-of-force policies must prohibit chokeholds except in situations where deadly force is legally permissible. The solicitation clarifies that this certification requirement also applies when a law enforcement agency receives DOJ discretionary funds indirectly through a subaward. Additional details, including standards, an implementation fact sheet, and a list of approved credentialing bodies, are provided through the DOJ COPS Office website page referenced in the notice.

Another key restriction in the solicitation is a prohibition on profit or management fees. All recipients and subrecipients, including any for-profit organizations, must forgo any profit or management fee. This reinforces that the grant is intended to function as a public benefit program with funds flowing to loan repayment and necessary administration rather than generating revenue for administering entities.

From the posted source data, the opportunity is identified as a discretionary grant administered by BJA, with Funding Opportunity Number O-BJA-2021-44009 and CFDA number 16.816. The original application closing date listed is April 20, 2021. The award ceiling shown in the source data is $115,000. The opportunity is categorized under a funding activity category labeled "Affordable Care Act" in the metadata, although the substantive program purpose described is student loan repayment assistance for justice system attorneys serving as prosecutors and public defenders.

• The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the affordable care act sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 21 John R. Justice (JRJ) Program Formula Grant Solicitation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.816.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-12-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-04-20. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $115,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Others.

Apply for O BJA 2021 44009

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