Debt Reduction for Public Servants

The Nov. 30 front-page article "A Mixed Blessing for Aspiring Lawyers; High Tuition and Debt Lure Graduates Toward High Pay, Away From Public Service Jobs" cited high debt as one of the pressures compelling some graduating law students to go to high-paying corporate firms, rather than taking public service jobs that they would find more satisfying.

However, the article failed to mention the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which President Bush signed in September. It permits low monthly repayments for student loans and provides substantial loan forgiveness for those who serve for 10 years in government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The loan-forgiveness law applies not only to lawyers but to all public servants, including police officers and social workers.

Also, the Senate has passed, and the House is about to consider, additional loan forgiveness for prosecutors, public defenders and legal-aid lawyers.

Congress has low ratings and is often blamed for doing nothing, but the important new law passed in September will enable public service employers to retain their most talented and experienced staff members, who previously had to quit after two or three years to obtain high incomes in the private sector. Congress deserves public recognition for enacting the measure, which will make long-term public service a real option for graduates with high educational debt.

PHILIP G. SCHRAG

Bethesda

The writer's 2002 book, "Repay as You Earn," advocated for a law such as the College Cost Reduction and Access Act.