Eligibility

The student must meet all of the following:

  • be a United States Citizen or permanent resident;
  • be a rising Junior or Senior in Computer Science with a track in computer security  program;
  • GPA of 3.0 or better;
  • meet criteria for Federal employment; and
  • be capable of getting a security clearance.

Obligation:

  • The recipient must serve at a Federal agency in an information assurance position for a period equivalent to the length of the scholarship or one year, whichever is longer. An academic year (i.e., the fall and spring semesters) is equivalent to a calendar year of employment. If the recipient is funded for two academic years, he/she must serve at a Federal agency in a covered position for two calendar years. If the recipient is funded for one academic year or less (e.g., only one semester), he/she must serve for one calendar year.
  • Jobs will be located throughout the United States. However, the overwhelming majority will be in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Therefore, participants will be required to be available for placement nationwide.
  • The recipient is also required to serve an internship, which must be at least 10 weeks long.
  • The recipient is required to register on the SFS Program website www.sfs.opm.gov and complete a resume on-line. Through the website, the recipient is able to search for, and contact, participating agencies to explore internship and long-term placement opportunities. Federal agencies are also able to register on this website and conduct student and resume searches. Agencies contact directly those students they are interested in for effecting student/agency matches. When a match is made, this website allows the agency to report the match to the SFS Program Office.

In addition to registering on the SFS Program website, while the recipient is still in school, he/she has to:

- Attend the annual job fair/symposium.

- Search for internship and post-graduation opportunities.

- Complete and submit a job search activity report to the program office quarterly.

- View/edit resume and contact information quarterly.

- Engage in other SFS related activities as directed by the PI or program office.

  • By accepting the SFS scholarship and signing the service agreement the recipient is required to accept any offer that meets program requirements and is considered reasonable by the SFS Program Office. If you receive at least one, but fail to accept a placement offer, it will constitute a breach of the service agreement. In these situations, the National Science Foundation will seek the remedial action that best serves the objectives of the SFS program and the interests of the Government, including reimbursement of scholarship funds.
  • If the recipient leaves his/her Federal position before he/she serves the required period, he/she must repay a prorated amount equivalent to the length of the period not served. For example, if you receive funds for two years and serve for one-and-a-half years, you must repay 25% of the funds received. Federal agencies must notify the SFS Program Office immediately when this occurs. That office is responsible for initiating the repayment process.
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