Photo: Getty Images
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is visiting the University at Albany today to promote federal cybersecurity scholarships. The scholarships, part of the Department of Defense's (DoD) Cyber Service Academy program, offer significant financial aid to students in return for public service. The University at Albany is one of 19 institutions in New York eligible for the program due to its designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) by the National Security Agency.
The scholarships cover expenses such as tuition, books, lab fees, and a stipend for room and board. In return, students are required to serve in the Department of Defense post-graduation. The program aims to fill the nearly 40,000 unfilled public-sector cybersecurity positions in the U.S. According to Senator Gillibrand, "The Cyber Service Academy will create a pipeline for a talented, highly-trained cyber workforce, granting one year of free college for every year of subsequent public service."
The University at Albany offers several programs in cybersecurity, including a standalone undergraduate program and a master's degree program in digital forensics and cybersecurity. The university's School of Business also hosts New York's first four-year digital forensics program. Interested students can apply for the DoD Cyber Scholarship Program on Senator Gillibrand's website.