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Washington, D.C., September 27th – Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia Democrat, joined in the introduced of legislation today that would establish the country’s first ever national civilian university. The bill would create a “U.S. Public Service Academy” modeled after the current service academies at West Point, Annapolis and Colorado Springs.
“We have world class military service academies, that, each year, produce thousands of well educated and highly trained graduates to lead our nation’s armed forces,” said Moran. “But no institution exists to mold top-flight public servants. In ten years, 90 percent of our nation’s civil service federal executives will be over the age of 50 and many will be nearing retirement. By 2016, Two million new teachers will be needed and non-profit organizations must attract and develop 640,000 new managers. This coming brain drain threatens the stability and functioning of our public and non-profit sectors and has yet to be adequately addressed.”
The “United States Public Service Academy Act” (The PSA Act) would create an undergraduate institution designed to cultivate and groom a new generation of young leaders dedicated to public service. Modeled after the military service academies, the Public Service Academy will provide a four-year, federally-subsidized college education for more than 5,000 students a year. In return, graduates must commit to serving at least five years in the public sector. Eligible fields of service would include public education, public health, law enforcement, government and non-profit organizations.
Support for public service is growing in the U.S. A recent study conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute found that more than two-thirds of the 2005 freshman class expressed a desire to serve others, the highest rate in a generation. Publicly-funded service programs, including AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, are experiencing an increase in applicants.
However, the rising costs of achieving a secondary education are making public sector work less desirable each year. In the past decade college tuition has increased by 47 percent at private schools and 63 percent at public institution. As a result, the average college graduate owes about $20,000, an increase of more than 50 percent in the past decade.
“Interest in public service is growing, but so are the costs of receiving a higher education. The U.S. Public Service Academy will offer young people who want to dedicate their lives to the public good the opportunity to pursue their passion without incurring such prohibitive debt.”
Senators Hilary Clinton (D-NY) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) have introduced companion legislation in the Senate.
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