Kennedy School Expands Loan Forgiveness Program

The Kennedy School of Government (KSG) has expanded its loan forgiveness program and initiated a new program that will forgive the first $10,000 of KSG student loans for each KSG graduate who accepts and completes a Presidential Management Internship (PMI), announced Dean Joseph S. Nye Jr.

Thirty Kennedy School students have been chosen as PMI finalists. This is more Presidential Management Finalists than any other institution and more PMI's than at any time in the School's history. The details of the program are currently being worked out and are pending government approval.

The Presidential Management Intern Program was established to attract outstanding individuals to Federal Government service, people from a wide variety of academic disciplines who have an interest in public policies and programs. After successfully completing the two-year excepted-service program, PMIs may be eligible for conversion to a permanent Federal Government position. During their two-year internship, PMIs experience a myriad of challenging career opportunities as well as the opportunity to attend seminars, briefings and conferences, and on-the-job training.

"Public service is at the heart of the Kennedy School's mission. I want to reward and encourage our students who have won these prestigious positions in government," said Nye. "In an era where people say that there is not much interest in government as a career, the Kennedy School PMI finalists counter that argument. We offer this special loan forgiveness program to support our graduates' pursuit of public service."

"We want to provide every incentive to our graduates to go into public service and remove what barriers we can to their doing so," said Executive Dean Sheila Burke. "There is no disputing the fact that jobs in the public sector do not pay as well and education debt weighs heavily on the minds of our students. The PMI offers graduates a wonderful opportunity to gain real experience in government and make a contribution to this country."

"It is my passion for public service that brought me to the Kennedy School," said Michael Seelman, candidate for a Masters in Public Policy. "Here I have had the opportunity to learn from and work with some of the most intelligent and civic-spirited people in the country and the world. The fruits of this collaboration were evident the day I opened my acceptance letter from the PMI program. The School's support of public service reaches beyond just our intellectual preparation, and this new initiative is a true testament of the School's deep commitment to training public service leaders for the next century."

The 30 Kennedy School PMI finalists were chosen from an international pool of 1,660 applicants Ñ 540 finalists were selected. To be eligible for a Presidential Management Internship, applicants must have completed an advanced degree and demonstrate an exceptional academic career, capacity for leadership, future for potential growth, and a commitment to a career in public policy and management.