After graduation, do you want a guaranteed job working as a civilian employee of the Department of Defense helping defend our nation’s cyberspace against
Cyber Crime and
Cyber Terrorism
And have your education fully paid for?
Recognizing the increasing dependence on information technology, the Department of Defense Information Assurance Scholarship Program (DoD IASP) was established in 2001. The goal of the program is to increase the number of students entering the field of Information Assurance (IA) thus provide more civilian employees better qualified to support the DoD information infrastructure for war fighting and information security purposes.
Through the program, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and North Carolina Agriculture and Technology State University will provide grants to undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in a field relevant to information assurance.
The information on this Web site is a summary of the program benefits and obligations. The formal scholarship announcement is available in PDF form here. In all cases that announcement is the binding document.
For purposes of this program, the term Information Assurance encompasses the scientific, technical, and management disciplines required to ensure computer and network security including:
System/network administration and operations
Systems security engineering
Information assurance systems and product acquisition
Cryptography
Threat and vulnerability assessment including risk management
Web security
Computer emergency response teams
Information assurance training, education, and management
Computer forensics
Defensive information operations
- Critical information infrastructure assurance
Relevant academic disciplines
with concentrations in information assurance, would include (but are not limited
to) Information Security (Assurance), Software Engineering,
Computer Systems Analysis, Computer Science,
Computer Programming, Computer Engineering, Computer Support, Data Base Administration,
Mathematics, Biometrics, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Operations Research, and
Business Management or Business Administration.
For undergraduates, the relevant degree programs at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte are the BA in Software and Information Systems and the BA or BS in Computer Science. At North Carolina Agriculture and Technology State University, the relevant degree program for undergraduates is the BS in Computer Science.
For graduates, the relevant degree programs at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte are the MS in Information Technology or the MS in Computer Science. At North Carolina Agriculture and Technology State University, the relevant degree program for graduates is the MS in Computer Science.
Students selected for the scholarship will receive:
·
The full cost of
tuition, books, and required fees, including any out-of-state and graduate
student fees. (Out of state tuition may be subject to overall funding limits).
· An annual stipend to cover room, board, and other expenses in the amount of $14,000 for undergraduate students or $19,000 per year for graduate students.
· Paid internships during summers or during breaks between school terms as appropriate to the individual's circumstances and the institution's calendar.
· A sponsor who will maintain contact with the student during the scholarship period and who will facilitate the student's entry into internships and eventual DoD employment.
Students who meet the following minimum criteria are eligible to apply:
U.S. citizen at the time of application.
At least 18 years of age.
Enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte or North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University.
Have completed (or will have completed by August 2010) the first two years of an undergraduate degree program and be eligible to:
Begin either the third or fourth year of an undergraduate degree program;
Begin the first or second year of a master's degree program;
Pursue doctoral studies; or
Complete a graduate certificate program in information assurance.
Meet minimal GPA requirements:
For students applying as undergraduates an overall GPA of 3.0 (on a 4-point scale)
For students applying as graduates a 3.2 overall GPA (on a 4-point scale)
Pursuing a course of study and/or have declared a major in one of the disciplines described above in What is Information Assurance.
Recommended for the scholarship by your school.
Meet selection criteria for federal employment including fulfilling the necessary security requirements.
Veterans
are especially encouraged to apply.
Preference will be given to those students who will be enrolled for at least three semesters in order to have the necessary exposure to information security research.
During the summers while enrolled in the program, each student will be placed into an internship position at a Department of Defense agency. Internships do not count towards fulfilling the student's post-graduation employment obligation.
Each student will be required to complete a security investigation questionnaire to initiate the process for a background investigation in preparation for their internships and as a condition of future employment with the Department of Defense. Drug tests or other suitability processing will occur as appropriate.
While completing their academic requirements, undergraduate students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4-point scale. Graduate students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.2 on a 4-point scale.
Upon graduation, students obligate to remain employed by a Department of Defense agency as a full-time, permanent civilian employee for a period of one year for each year that the student received financial support under the DoD IASP.
Students agree to accept assignments requiring travel or change of duty stations as interns or employees. Individuals who voluntarily terminate employment before the end of the period of obligated service will be required to refund to the United States, in whole or in part, the cost of the educational assistance provided to them.
Information on obtaining security clearances is available on the Web at
This information is not intended to be all inclusive, but to provide general guidance in determining if an individual will be eligible for a security clearance.
An opportunity also exists for scholarship payback through military service including full-time active duty Guard and Reserves. Individuals choosing to enlist or accept a commission to serve on active duty in one of the Military Services shall incur a service obligation of a minimum of 4 years on active duty in that Service upon graduation. The Military Services may establish a service obligation longer than 4 years, depending on the occupational specialty and type of enlistment or commissioning program selected.
Each applicant to the DoD IASP program must provide: