NYU is offering students a public service by establishing the Marc and Ruti Bell Public Service Scholarship, which offers financial compensation to second- and third- year undergraduate students with financial need who plan to advance the public good post-graduation.

According to the university, a maximum of 20 scholarship recipients will be selected annually. The number of students selected depends on how many qualify by the standards of the committee reviewing the applications. The committee, which will be comprised of representatives from all NYU undergraduate schools, will decide the specific amount awarded to each recipient – recipients can renew the award of up to $8,000 each year until graduation.

CAS Assistant Dean for Students Joel Ward said the goal of the program is to offer additional financial assistance to students interested in pursuing a career in public service. It especially aims to help reduce the number of loans and overall debt for students in this career field.

“So many NYU students are dedicated to applying the knowledge and experiences they are gaining both inside and outside of the classroom to help solve the challenges society still faces,” Ward said. “We are all incredibly excited to be able to offer this additional financial assistance to our NYU undergraduates who have a passion and commitment to serving and advancing the public good.”

GLS junior Juney Ha is contemplating pursuing a career in public service and said that she would definitely consider applying for the scholarship. Ha believes that it is vital to encourage dedicated public students who prioritize societal issues.

“It’s encouraging to see such a large, private institution like NYU use their funds to promote a career in public service,” Ha said. “Public servants are dedicated to improving the standards of society and fixing the issues that are presented to us in a national context. Public service is a privilege and should be acknowledged as such.”

Ha said that although any scholarship is a good use of money, she is enthused that this scholarship is both need-based and encourages a sometimes overlooked career path.

Steinhardt junior Zaria Watkins said she was very excited when she first heard about this scholarship — Watkins thinks students in large communities can often feel weighed down by a lack of money in their prospective industries, and this scholarship does a good job of resolving those concerns and empowering those students interested in taking a path less traveled.

“The benefits of participating in service are innumerable and immeasurable,” Watkins said. “It is important to remember that we do not exist in a vacuum, and through service we have the power to improve ourselves, our school community and New York.”

With the establishment of the Marc and Ruti Bell Public Service Scholarship, NYU students will have one more source of financial support for their service-centered endeavors and aspirations.

LS freshman Amy Qi said that she is eager to apply for the scholarship next year. She also believes that student debt and financial burdens impede students’ flexibility in exploring careers and forces many to seek jobs in fields such as finance that are generally considered more lucrative.

“I think careers in public service are extremely important,” Qi said. “As someone who has been fortunate enough to receive an American education, and attend an acclaimed university such as NYU, I feel it absolutely necessary that I take advantage of the resources I am given to alleviate issues in society for those who haven’t been as fortunate.”

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, March 6 print edition.

Email Mona Chen at [email protected].