PICTURE Grants help students who work in public interest technology repay their student loans. Graduates who hold engineering, design, and product management positions at nonprofits and government agencies receive an annual grant for a predetermined number of years.
Governments are adopting digital tools to deliver essential services, creating a growing need for young people who build technology for the public sector. Young people are the most familiar with these latest technologies, but young people are less likely to work in the public sector—as of July 2019, just 3% of technical federal employees were under 30.
Many college graduates may choose private sector jobs over public sector jobs because of higher compensation, which allows graduates to repay their student loans. However, a model already employed by medical and law schools, PICTURE Grants bridge this gap by helping students repay their loans and providing students with an additional layer of financial security.
