Scholars for Service Program for cybersecurity students is accepting applications

San Bernardino, Calif. — The Scholars for Service Program (SFS) at California State University, San Bernardino is once again open for applications. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the SFS program provides substantial scholarships to students who are interested in studying cybersecurity.

The SFS program is open to all students who have two years of coursework still to complete. A technical background is not needed — only an interest in cybersecurity.

Four information sessions will be held in Jack Brown Hall, Room 122, from noon until 1 p.m. on the following dates:

• Tuesday, March 13, and Wednesday, March 14;
• Tuesday, April 3, and Wednesday, April 4.

Students are encouraged to attend any of the information sessions. The application deadline is May 1.

There are a limited number of scholarships. Undergraduate students accepted into the program will have tuition and books paid for and will receive a stipend of $22,500 per year. The SFS program is also open to graduate students pursuing a degree with a cybersecurity focus. Graduate students accepted into the program will have their tuition and books paid for and receive stipends of $34,000.

“This is a remarkable program that is open to any student with a 3.0 GPA,” says Tony Coulson, director of the Cyber Security Center at CSUSB and a professor of information and decision sciences. “Students receive intensive hands-on training in all aspects of cybersecurity in addition to an excellent business education. They also have access to important and substantive internships in Washington, D.C., that prepare them to serve at the highest levels of government upon graduation.”

Every year, SFS students are invited to travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in a highly competitive job fair sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

“We take 20 SFS students to Washington, D.C., and they compete with more than 700 students from other universities for internships and jobs,” says Coulson. “Our 20 students all come back with great internships and job offers from top government agencies, defense contractors, and private firms.”

Scholarship recipients must work after graduation for a federal, state, local or tribal government organization in a position related to cybersecurity for a period equal to the length of the scholarship.

For more information about the Cyber Security Center in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration, and the SFS program, contact Tony Coulson at tcoulson@csusb.edu, or Valentina Felix, project manager, at vfelix@csusb.edu or (909) 537-5702.

About Cal State San Bernardino

California State University, San Bernardino is a preeminent center of intellectual and cultural activity in Inland Southern California. Opened in 1965 and set at the foothills of the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains, the university serves more than 20,000 students each year and graduates about 4,000 students annually. The university offers more than 70 traditional baccalaureate and master’s degree programs, education credential and certificate programs, and a doctorate program in educational leadership. Every one of its academic programs that is eligible has earned national accreditation. CSUSB reflects the dynamic diversity of the region and has the most diverse student population of any university in the Inland Empire. More than 80 percent of those who graduate are the first in their families to do so.

For more information on Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit inside.csusb.edu.