CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) Program

The Tagliatela College of Engineering received a $4 million National Science (NSF) grant – one of largest federal grants in the University’s history – to create Connecticut’s first CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service program, to produce the next generation of Super Cyber Operatives ready to enter the government workforce and protect the nation from cyber-attacks.

The Scholarship for Service (SFS) Program is designed to recruit and train the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to meet the needs of Federal, State, local, and tribal government. This program provides scholarships for cybersecurity undergraduate and graduate education, funded through grants awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). In return for the financial support, recipients must agree to work for the U.S. Government after graduation in a cybersecurity-related position, for a period equal to the length of the scholarship.

Cybercorps logoNSF logo

Benefits

  • Full tuition and academic fees (100%).
  • A generous yearly stipend for living expenses ($25,000 for undergraduate students and $34,000 for graduate students).
  • A professional allowance of up to $6,000 per year (for books, and traveling to the SFS job fair and other conferences).
  • The scholarship may be provided to students for up to three (3) consecutive years.
  • The title of an SFS Scholar. SFS Scholars are highly sought after graduates in the government sector.

Eligibility Criteria

  • University of New Haven students entering their senior year (within 3 years of completing their Master's) in B.S. in Cybersecurity & Networks, or B.S. in Computer Science with a Concentration in Cybersecurity. (Note: Students on the Cyber Operations National Security Agency designated paths are strongly encouraged to apply). Senior students will be provided 1 year of support to finish their B.S. degrees, and 2 years of support to complete their M.S. degrees in Cybersecurity and Networks.
  • Students from the University of New Haven, as well as external applicants accepted into the M.S. degree in Cybersecurity and Networks are also eligible for 2 years of support to complete their MS degrees in Cybersecurity and Networks.
  • Must be able to demonstrate evidence of being able to obtain a Security Clearance.
  • Must be a United States Citizen or US Permanent Resident.
  • Full-time student status.
  • Must have and continue to maintain at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA (evaluated every semester).
  • Completion of summer internships at a government agency.
  • If accepted, the applicant commits to working for a government agency for a term equal to the number of years that the scholarship was awarded.

Obligations

Students funded under this program incur the following obligations:

  • Complete a degree program through a plan of study with a significant focus on cybersecurity.
  • Maintain a GPA of 3.25 or higher (and remain in good standing as per university policies).
  • Participate in all CyberCorps activities including job fairs, and other meetings.
  • Accept no external employment without written permission from the University’s CyberCorps program.
  • Search for and complete cybersecurity-related government internships during the summers while funded under the program.
  • Search for and complete employment with the government (federal, state, local, or tribal) immediately following graduation. The length of employment must equal the duration of the scholarship.
  • Participation in the university’s cyber collegiate competitive teams.
  • Participate in high-quality applied cybersecurity research: There is a general expectation that SFS Scholars will be lead authors on approximately one article per year of support during their scholarship.

Frequently Asked Questions

A list of FAQ can be found at the OPM website: https://www.sfs.opm.gov/StudFAQ.aspx