UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 12, 2005
                                                          --------------

                       PROVIDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
                       ----------------------------------
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

          Delaware                      001-31566                42-1547151
-----------------------------     ---------------------     -------------------
(State or Other Jurisdiction)     (Commission File No.)      (I.R.S. Employer
      of Incorporation)                                     Identification No.)


830 Bergen Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey                          07306-4599
------------------------------------------                          ----------
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                            (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (201) 333-1000
                                                     --------------

                                 Not Applicable
          -------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

[ ]  Written communications  pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
     CFR 230.425)

[ ]  Soliciting  material  pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
     CFR 240.14a-12)

[ ]  Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant  to Rule  14d-2(b)  under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ]  Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant  to Rule  13e-4(c)  under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))





Item 8.01       Other Events.
                -------------

     On April 12, 2005 the Company' s wholly  owned  subsidiary,  The  Provident
Bank,  announced an agreement with the New Jersey Citizen Action and the Housing
and  Community  Development  Network of New Jersey with respect to a three-year,
$125.6  million  program to assist low- and  moderate-income  communities in New
Jersey.  A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current
Report on Form 8-K.


Item 9.01.      Financial Statements and Exhibits
                ---------------------------------
               (a)  Financial Statements of Businesses Acquired. Not applicable

               (b)  Pro Forma Financial Information. Not Applicable

               (c)  Exhibits.

                    Exhibit No.     Description
                    -----------     -----------

                       99.1         Press Release of The Provident Bank dated 
                                    April 12, 2005.





                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

                                            PROVIDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.



DATE:  April 14, 2005                   By: /s/ Paul M. Pantozzi
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Paul M. Pantozzi
                                            Chairman and Chief Executive Officer





                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit           Description
-------           -----------

99.1              Press Release of The Provident Bank dated April 12, 2005.