FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2009
Contact: Sarah Howe
202-775-9111
PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE COMMENDS SENATORS GEORGE VOINOVICH AND KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND FOR INTRODUCING THE "ROOSEVELT SCHOLARS ACT OF 2009"
WASHINGTON – Partnership for Public Service President and CEO Max Stier released the following statement commending Senators George Voinovich (R-OH) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) for introducing the Roosevelt Scholars Act of 2009, legislation that creates a scholarship-for-service program for students who are committed to serving our country in mission-critical federal jobs.
“The federal government needs to fill 273,000 mission-critical jobs through 2012, yet college graduates face staggering levels of educational debt, effectively pricing them out of public service. The only way our nation can fill these jobs with top talent is to raise our game in recruiting and investing in our federal workforce.
The military has long invested in developing talent through its highly successful ROTC program, and the Roosevelt Scholars Act is a much-needed civilian equivalent. It will help make federal civil service a more affordable and attractive career option for our nation’s top talent and will improve the caliber of our workforce.
Building an elite scholarship-for-service program that restores prestige to government service will help ensure that the nation's top scholars consider making government service part of their career. When young people want to make a difference, they will think about government as public service.
Senators Voinovich and Gillibrand are leading the call to service with the introduction of the Roosevelt Scholars Act in the Senate. We applaud their vision.”
The Roosevelt Scholars Actwill establish a small nonprofit foundation to manage the scholarship program and award scholarships. Recipients will receive tuition, support for room and board, and a small stipend for each year they are enrolled in a degree granting program directly related to a mission-critical occupational area within the federal government. Mission-critical fields may include law, security and enforcement, public health, science, engineering and accounting. Upon graduation, Roosevelt Scholarswill be required to spend three to five years working in the federal civil service.
A similar bill, H.R. 3510, the Roosevelt Scholars Act of 2009, was introduced in the House in July by Representatives David Price (D-NC) and Mike Castle (R-DE).
The Partnership for Public Service works to revitalize the federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works. Visit www.ourpublicservice.org for more information.
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The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to revitalize our federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works.
