UMBC Center for Information Security and Assurance

Scholarship Opportunities

Information Assurance Scholarship Program

The Information Assurance Scholarship Program (IASP) is a yearly awarded Department of Defense sponsored scholarship/fellowship program to promote the education, recruitment, and retention of rising junior and senior undergraduate and graduate students in information assurance (security) studies and of students seeking graduate certificates in information assurance disciplines.

Pending final approval, this highly selective program allows up to twelve students full-ride scholarships to UMBC.

Detailed information and all forms may also be found at the Official DoD IASP web site. A condensed overview may be found here.

Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service

The Scholarship for Service (SFS) is a yearly awarded National Science Foundation sponsored scholarship program to promote the education, recruitment, and retention of rising junior and senior undergraduates and graduate students in information assurance studies.

Detailed information and all forms may also be found at the Official NSF SFS web site.

IASP and SFS Application Process

  1. Please let Dr. Sherman know that you are interested. We will help guide you through the process.
  2. Applications are due by 12:00 (noon) January 12, 2012. Submit application to Jane Gethmann in the CSEE Office, carefully following all instructions. Be sure you have an official transcript and that all letters of reference are signed and on official letterhead (otherwise you application will be returned without consideration).
  3. Complete an interview with the UMBC Evaluation Committee on Friday January 20, 2012.
  4. Decisions will be announced by DoD and NSF in late spring 2012.

Each recipient will receive full tuition, room and board, books, and stipend. In return, the recipient must work for DoD (for pay) for one year for each year of scholarship. Each recipient will also engage in a summer internship at DoD (for pay).

Eligibility Requirements (selected):

  1. Junior, senior, MS, or PhD student status in CMSC or related field at UMBC (including IS, math, EE, CE)
  2. USA citizen 18 years or older
  3. Willingness to obtain top-secret security clearance. The selection process will include an intrusive polygraph examination.

Expectations:

We seek outstanding students with strong interest, coursework, and other experience in IA. The program is highly competitive. About 30 new scholarships were awarded nationally in 2010. Among other qualifications, ideally we seek students with high SAT or GRE test scores (preferably SAT combined math and verbal over 1400), high GPA (preferably over 3.5 on a 4-point scale), strong letters of recommendations from regular UMBC faculty, and relevant experience in IA. The review committee considers all evidence.