Penn State Scholarship for Service

Through the Federal Cyber Corps Scholarship for Service (SFS) program, Penn State provides scholarships to outstanding students studying in the field of Cybersecurity (broadly defined). Each scholarship recipient will complete either a B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. degree in diverse Cybersecurity-related programs at Penn State (e.g., IST, CSE, Engineering, Geography, International Affairs).

The SFS Program is offered and funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF) in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The SFS program is a unique program designed to increase and strengthen the cadre of federal cybersecurity professionals that protect the U.S. government’s critical information infrastructure. This program provides scholarships to U.S. citizens or permanent residents that fully fund the typical costs during the study. After graduation, participants must fulfill a government service obligation for a period equivalent to the length of their scholarship.

The scholarship program will cover in-state tuition for up to two years of study for B.S. or M.S. students, and three years of study for Ph.D. students. 

During the summers while enrolled in the program, each student will be responsible for securing a Cybersecurity-related internship position at a federal, state, or local government agency. Numerous resources are available to assist students in identifying and applying for internships.

Upon graduation, each student will be required to work in a qualified Cybersecurity related position for a federal, state, local, or tribal government agency or a qualified national laboratory. The work requirement time period matches the supported time period.

Application Deadline: March

Information
Year at Time of Application: 
Sophomore, Junior, Senior or Beyond, Grad Student
Duration of Award: 
Full Year or More
Other: 
No Preference, Graduate Study, Research
Procedure: 
Direct Submission
Area of Interest: 
Information Technology and Computer Science
Earliest Application Deadline: 
Jan. – April
Location: 
Domestic
Penn-State Sponsored: 
Yes
Fellowship Components: 
Graduate School