Alex Parker over at Government Executive writes that lawmakers have renewed their push to pass the Roosevelt Scholars Act (H.R. 3510), which would create scholarships for graduate students in exchange for a federal service commitment. The increased attention to the effort comes amid new reports that the government needs a more robust workforce with a range of skills, particularly in the cybersecurity arena.
This is the third time this legislation has been proposed either as a stand-alone bill or an amendment, but it has never come to a vote. What are your thoughts on this legislation? How critical is it to recruiting and retaining a top federal IT workforce, especially in light of new student loan repayment programs that have taken effect recently? Should the legislation target solely graduate students, or undergraduate students as well?
Brittany Ballenstedt
Brittany Ballenstedt writes Nextgov's Wired Workplace blog, which delves into the issues facing employees who work in the federal information technology sector. Before joining Nextgov, Brittany covered federal pay and benefits issues as a staff correspondent for Government Executive and served as an associate editor for National Journal's Technology Daily. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Mansfield University and originally hails from Pennsylvania. She currently lives near Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where her husband is stationed.
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