September 18, 2003

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Government in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences has received a new two-year, $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to recruit economically disadvantaged students into public service careers. It is the largest HUD fellowship grant received by UAB.

The HUD Community Development Work Study Program (CDWSP) was created to attract students to careers in community and economic development, planning and management. This year, HUD awarded $3 million in CDWSP grants to 19 universities nationwide, including the University of California Berkeley, Rutgers University, University of Florida and Kansas State University. UAB was one of three Alabama universities to receive grants, which included Auburn University and Alabama A&M University. This is the seventh HUD fellowship grant UAB has received since 1994.

The grant will provide stipends for five students in the UAB Masters in Public Administration Program offered in the department of government. The stipends will pay for tuition, books and other expenses up to $15,000.

In addition to their classes, students work 20 hours a week in public and metro-area non-profits and government agencies. After graduation, the students are required to work for two years in non-profit organizations or government agencies. Past graduates have worked for organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the FBI, United Cerebral Palsy and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as for government agencies in Alabama.