The Partnership for Public Service has announced plans to create a Roosevelt Scholars program that would cover one year of graduate tuition for the recipient for every two years he or she serves the federal government.
PPS made the announcement to pursue the program, which Congress would have to authorize, at an after hours town hall forum at the National Air and Space Museum, attended by over 1,500 interns at federal agencies, on Capitol Hill or other government-related entities.
The event included a career fair with representatives from agencies such as NASA, the CIA and State Department.
Another plan to coax talented students into government service is building support. The Public Service Academy is gaining congressional sponsors. Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Alren Specter, R-Pa., introduced legislation in March to help create the academy.
It would serve about 5,000 students, with 1,300 new incoming freshmen each year who would have been nominated by their congressmen in a process similar to that used for admission to the military academies.
Students would follow a liberal arts curriculum with an emphasis on service learning and international education, and would receive free tuition in exchange for five years of civilian service following graduation.