CCAIR
CCAIR Student Guide · Part 7 of 8

Scholarships and programs for cybersecurity students

Professional associations, nonprofits and companies fund scholarships, training and conference trips with no service commitment. Government programs can pay for your whole degree in exchange for government work. Amounts and deadlines change each year, so confirm them on the program's own page.

Last verified: October 2026 · Reviewed by Dr. Benjamin M. Ampel, Director of CCAIR

Professional associations and nonprofits

  • ISC2 Center for Cyber Safety and Education. Academic scholarships of up to $5,000 for associate, undergraduate and graduate students, with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. The 2026 round closed on March 15, 2026, and applications reopen in 2027[1][2]. Applicants from any country may apply[2].
  • ISSA Education Foundation. Scholarships for sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students, including $3,500 memorial awards for one undergraduate and one graduate student and $2,000 awards. The 2026 window ran from February 1 to June 15[3].
  • ISACA Foundation. Awards of US$500 to $5,000 for undergraduate and graduate students worldwide, with eligibility that varies by award. The current cycle closes November 3, 2026[4]. One award is for National Cyber League players at US schools[5].

Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS)

  • Membership. WiCyS offers a low-cost student membership that needs a school-issued email address[6].
  • Conference scholarships. These cover registration (for a processing fee) and shared lodging. The round for the March 2027 conference closed September 30, 2026[7].
  • Cyber Defense Challenge made possible by Target. Open to WiCyS members with no prior experience needed. The top 10 get a WiCyS conference scholarship and coaching from Target's team. The page lists applications as opening in fall or winter 2026[8].
  • Security Training Scholarship. SANS training for members 18 or older who are students or career changers, funded by WiCyS partners. The 2026 window ran through September 30[9].

Company programs

  • CrowdStrike NextGen Scholarship. For students in cybersecurity or AI. Finalists are invited to explore internships. The 2027-28 cycle opens in spring 2027[10].
  • Palo Alto Networks early careers. A 12-week summer internship and a year-long Unit 42 Academy covering incident response, governance, risk and compliance, and offensive security[11].
  • Microsoft internships. Open to current bachelor's, master's, MBA and PhD students[12].

Many other security and technology companies run similar programs. Check each company's university or early-careers page in late summer, when many large employers start recruiting[13].

Government programs

Government programs can cover full tuition and a stipend. In return, you work in government after you graduate.

CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS)

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds SFS, and OPM runs the student side[14].

  • What it pays. Tuition and mandatory education fees, plus an academic-year stipend of $27,000 for undergraduates and $37,000 for graduate students under the current solicitation[15].
  • What you give back. After graduation you work in a government cybersecurity or AI role for as long as the scholarship lasted[14][15].
  • Who can apply. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents enrolled full-time at a participating school. You apply through your school, and each school runs its own selection[16].
  • A new name. NSF's 2026 solicitation calls the program CyberAI SFS (CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service) and covers AI as well as cybersecurity[17].

Georgia State University has an SFS program, according to the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) map[18].

DoD Cyber Service Academy

The Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Service Academy replaced the DoD Cyber Scholarship Program (CySP). It covers tuition, books and fees plus a stipend, in exchange for one year of DoD civilian service for each year of support. Students must be U.S. citizens enrolled at a participating NCAE-C school[19].

Stipend amounts and deadlines change each cycle. Check the NCAE-C map to see whether your school takes part[20], then ask your campus point of contact.

DoD SMART Scholarship

The Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) program pays full tuition and annual stipends and includes summer internships. In return you accept one-for-one civilian service after graduation. Cybersecurity is not a listed discipline, but computer science, information sciences, software engineering and data science are. Applications open August 1[21].

CISA Pathways internships

CISA's paid student internships are posted on USAJOBS. Interns who complete 640 hours can be eligible for noncompetitive conversion to a permanent job. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, at least 16, enrolled in school, with a GPA of 2.5 or higher[22].

Many of these jobs need a security clearance. See Working in government or defense.

Search tips

  • Read the service terms. Government programs that pay for school require government service afterward. Read the agreement before you accept.
  • Start a year early. Many applications need transcripts, letters and essays.
  • Ask your department. Schools often know about local scholarships that never appear in national lists.

Related Pathway Finder roles

Each role guide covers the work, the realistic first job, starter certifications and free practice.

SOC AnalystGRC AnalystCloud Security EngineerIncident Responder

Sources

We checked each source in October 2026. Rules, prices and dates change, so confirm them on the source before you act.

  1. [1] ISC2 Center for Cyber Safety and Education. Academic scholarships.
  2. [2] ISC2. Apply now for academic scholarships (March 3, 2026).
  3. [3] ISSA Education Foundation. Apply now for scholarships.
  4. [4] ISACA. ISACA Foundation scholarship program expands access to tech and cybersecurity education (September 9, 2026).
  5. [5] ISACA Foundation. About ISACA Foundation scholarships.
  6. [6] WiCyS. Join WiCyS.
  7. [7] WiCyS. WiCyS 2027 scholarships.
  8. [8] WiCyS. Cyber Defense Challenge made possible by Target.
  9. [9] WiCyS. Security Training Scholarship.
  10. [10] CrowdStrike. The CrowdStrike NextGen Scholarship Program.
  11. [11] Palo Alto Networks. Early careers at Palo Alto Networks.
  12. [12] Microsoft Careers. Early in profession: students.
  13. [13] Cornell University Career Services. Recruiting timeline by career pathways.
  14. [14] OPM. CyberCorps Scholarship for Service.
  15. [15] NSF. NSF 26-503 solicitation.
  16. [16] OPM. SFS student overview.
  17. [17] NSF. CyberAI SFS (CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service), NSF 26-503.
  18. [18] NCAE-C Community. CAE map: Georgia State University.
  19. [19] DoD Emerging Technologies Talent Marketplace. How do students apply for a DoD CSA scholarship?.
  20. [20] NCAE-C Community. About the NCAE-C program.
  21. [21] SMART Scholarship Program. Eligibility.
  22. [22] CISA. Pathways interns.

Last verified: October 2026. Written for students by the Center for CyberAI Research (CCAIR) at Georgia State University. Found an outdated fact? Tell us through the contact page.