Sen. Gillibrand Encourages UAlbany Students to Apply for Federal Cybersecurity Scholarship Program
By Mike Nolan
ALBANY, N.Y. (Nov. 19, 2024) – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was at ETEC on Friday to encourage University at Albany students to apply for the Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Service Academy scholarship program.
The scholarship covers significant expenses such as tuition, books and lab fees, and includes a stipend for room and board, in return for service in the DoD or the Intelligence Community (IC) post-graduation. Successful applicants serve one year as a civilian employee for each year of their scholarship.
UAlbany is one of 24 institutions in New York eligible for the program because of its National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) designation by the National Security Agency. The designation recognizes institutions for significant contributions toward meeting the national demand for cyber defense research.
A national cyber workforce pipeline
Gillibrand included funding in the 2023 federal budget to create scholarships for university students enrolled in cyber-related programs at institutions with an NCAE-C designation. With nearly 30,000 unfilled DoD cyber positions, she said it is more essential to create a pipeline for a talented, highly trained cyber workforce.
“Thousands of unfilled DoD cyber positions leave our country with a severe shortage of personnel needed to protect the United States from adversaries like Russia. I developed the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program to help meet these needs and give our youth a path to good paying jobs in government,” Gillibrand said. “This program will create a pipeline for a talented, highly trained cyber workforce, granting one year of free college for every year of subsequent public service.”
Friday’s event also included remarks from New York Assemblywoman Pat Fahy, Robert Griffin, dean of UAlbany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC) and Sanjay Goel, department chair of the Department of Information Security and Digital Forensics at UAlbany’s Massry School of Business.
“The threat faced by cyber terrorism has grown exponentially,” said Griffin. “Our university remains committed to educating a diverse pipeline of students that will help fill the nation’s cybersecurity workforce needs. We’re thankful for Sen. Gillibrand’s leadership in this area. This scholarship will provide much needed financial assistance to students who are ready to serve their country.”
“Many communities are currently underrepresented in the cyber workforce and as a result students may not envision themselves in the industry or even be aware of the vast opportunities that are available,” Goel said. “The financial support provided by this scholarship will greatly benefit our students and build a pipeline of talented, highly trained cyber professionals.”
Training the next generation of cyber leaders
Since 2023, CEHC has offered a standalone undergraduate program in cybersecurity. Through coursework, research and experiential learning opportunities, students learn how to serve as the first line of defense in protecting an organization’s data, devices, computers and networks.
The Massry School of Business has been home to New York’s first four-year digital forensics program since 2013. The program prepares students to meet the information forensics and security needs of public and private companies across all sectors of the economy.
In addition, the Graduate School at UAlbany offers a master’s degree program in digital forensics and cybersecurity, which includes a fully online option. The University’s College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in computer science.
Interested students should visit www.gillibrand.senate.gov/cyberacademy and click on the DoD Cyber Scholarship Program link to apply.
Photos by Brian Busher