CISR - SFS FAQ

CISR - SFS FAQ

Scholarships: Civilian (Non-Military Service) - SFS FAQ

Please see Scholarship Application pagefor more information.

Civilian Master's Degree Scholarship - Federal Cyber Corps Service FAQ

1. What is the Scholarship For Service (SFS) program?
It's the federal government's response to deal with the threat to our information technology infrastructure by strengthening the cadre of professionals who protect it. This program provides capacity building grants to selected 4-year colleges and universities to develop or improve their capacity to train information assurance professionals. It also provides selected 4-year colleges and universities scholarship grants to attract students to the information assurance field.

2. Am I enrolling in Military Service?
No. The "Service" referred to in the title of the program is service as a CIVILIAN in a Federal Agency such as the CIA, FBI, NSA, NSF, NPS and many others. It is a full-time real job as a civilian working for the US Government. The program does not obligate the students to enlist.

3. What agency administers the SFS program?
The Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC) oversees the program. The ICC is composed of representatives from the National Security Council (NSC), National Security Agency (NSA), Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office (CIAO), National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and Office of Management and Budget (OMB). NSF administers the issuance of grants process and the capacity building component. The scholarship component (including the placement and tracking of participants) of the SFS program is administered by OPM's San Antonio Service Center. Questions about the program may be addressed to Kathy Roberson, SFS Program Manager, at sfspo@opm.gov or (210) 805-2423, extension 506.

4. Why is the SFS program important to the federal agencies?
The SFS program is important to the federal agencies because it helps them obtain the talent they need to protect their information systems. Upon graduation, participants must serve at a federal agency for a period equivalent to the length of the scholarship. This service must be in a position concerned with information assurance. During their period of federal service, participants join the agency's cadre of professionals that protect its critical information systems infrastructure.

5. Is there any evidence that the SFS program works?
The SFS program is modeled after other successful programs and borrows some of their best features. For example, much like the PMI Program, top-level students are nominated by their institutions. The internship offers the student-agency bonding opportunity of the co-op work experiences. The scholarships and stipends mirror the recruiting bonuses and retention allowances federal agencies may use to attract top talent.

6. Can any college or university participate?
No. Colleges and universities may vie for participation if they are certified by the National Security Agency as Centers of Academic Excellence for Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE), or their information assurance programs are deemed "equivalent" to those of certified schools.

7. What costs are covered by the SFS program at the Naval Postgraduate School?
Naval Postgraduate School participants receive free tuition and a living allowance of approximately $30,000 per year.

8. When, and for how long, can a student get a scholarship?
SFS students at the Naval Postgraduate School are conferred the scholarship for a period of 6 academic quarters (see the SFS Course Matrix).

9. How long must a student serve at a federal agency?
Naval Postgraduate School participants are funded for two academic years, and must serve at a federal agency in a covered position for two calendar years.

10. Who pays for the scholarships?
The National Science Foundation awards the grants for the scholarships to the selected colleges and universities. The federal agencies that choose to participate by hiring program participants bear none of the cost for the scholarships.

11. How may students apply, and how are they selected for the program?
Students can download an application at the top of this page. Students who apply will be selected in accordance with the process and screening criteria set forth by the Naval Postgraduate School.

12. What are the student eligibility requirements?
Applicants must have a Bachelor's Degree, prior to enrollment, in Computer Science or closely related field (Mathematics, Engineering, or Physics) with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens not employed by the U.S. Armed Forces, and must meet criteria for Federal employment, and be able to obtain a security clearance.

13. When did the first group of students join the program? When will they be ready to join the federal service?
Thirty-two students joined the program in the 2001 fall semester. Approximately half are graduate students. Virtually all of these students will receive scholarships for the full two years. Therefore, they will be ready to serve their internship during 2002, and begin serving their post-graduation federal employment commitment in May 2003.

14. What is the process for "matching" students with federal agencies?
Participants are asked to complete an electronic resume in OPM's Resume Builder. The SFS Program Office provides federal agencies electronic copies of these resumes. Upon receiving the resumes, agencies contact directly those students in whom they are interested for the purpose of effecting student/agency matches. When a match is made, the agency obtains from the student an e-mail statement indicating he or she has agreed to match with the agency. The agency forwards a copy of the e-mail to the SFS Program Office.

15. Is it important that matches be made early?
It is very important that matches be made early to ensure all students who receive scholarship funds for more than one academic year have the opportunity to serve an internship performing information assurance-related work. The internship, which is a program requirement, is intended to enhance the students' information assurance knowledge by exposing them to worthwhile, field-related work experiences. Therefore, an early match allows time for planning an optimal internship.

16. After the match is made, what is the federal agency to do?
After the match is made, the agency's immediate next step is to select an employment avenue to provide the student the opportunity to serve the internship.

Agencies Under title 5: The agency should evaluate the hiring options available and choose the one that best fits the particular circumstances. Important factors to consider include the feasibility of making a Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) appointment and whether or not the participant is eligible for non-competitive appointment.

a) If making a SCEP appointment is viable, the agency should seriously consider using this option. It fosters the development of a bond between the student and the employer and facilitates placement into the competitive service upon graduation. Agencies should be aware that the internship served will not be sufficient to satisfy the 640-hours-of-related-experience requirement. However, the remaining hours may be accumulated through short-term employment during breaks, part-time employment arrangements when feasible, or carefully planned paid telecommuting assignments. For example, the student may be asked to work from his or her home or school on portions of information assurance-related projects through electronic mail or other means of communication.

b) If making a SCEP appointment is not viable but the student is eligible for non-competitive appointment, the agency may be able to use this eligibility to appoint him or her to a position in which he or she may serve the internship.

c) The agency may also use the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) to provide the student the opportunity to serve the internship. If this alternative is used, we strongly recommend that the agency not terminate the temporary appointment at the end of the internship, but place the student on an unpaid status until graduation. Retaining the student as an employee provides the means to nurture the relationship started during the internship. Additionally, it enables the agency to employ the student on a part-time basis or for short periods by simply restoring him or her to a paid status.

Agencies under other titles: Federal agencies whose employment system is governed by other titles should use whatever appointing authorities are appropriate under the regulations that govern their temporary employment practices.

Note: Regardless of the appointing authority used for the internship, the agency should maintain contact with the student throughout the scholarship period. The designated mentor should remain in contact with the student and collaborate with the Principal Investigator to ensure the student's academic focus is in line with agency and program expectations.

17. What authority may agencies use to appoint SFS program participants upon graduation?
Agencies Under title 5: There is no special hiring authority created for the placement of Scholarship For Service participants. However, there are several avenues open to the agencies to afford students the opportunity to fulfill their post-graduation employment commitment. More importantly, in general, the length of the employment commitment will provide agencies plenty of time to seek the permanent placement of students under time-limited appointments. However, there are two caveats to remember. The agency must comply with the regulatory requirements applicable to whatever authority is used; and the appointment must be of sufficient duration to permit the participant to serve for a period equivalent to the length of the scholarship period or one year, whichever is longer.

a) If the agency used the SCEP at the outset, it may convert the student to a term or permanent appointment provided all conditions were met.

b) If the agency did not make a SCEP appointment, it may appoint the participant using any existing authority under which the participant is appointable. For example, the agency may announce the position using competitive procedures; reinstate or transfer the person into its ranks if eligible for reinstatement or transfer; or make a Career Intern appointment. In all instances, the agency must adhere to the provisions in the rules and regulations that govern the appointing authority used.

c) If the person is not appointable under any other authority, the agency may make an appointment under 5 CFR 213.3102(r) and seek conversion to a permanent competitive appointment at a later date. This authority allows the appointee to serve in the excepted service for up to four years.

Agencies under other titles: Federal agencies whose employment system is governed by other titles should use whatever appointing authorities are appropriate under the regulations that govern their term and permanent employment practices.

18. Does the student have to serve the internship at the federal agency that will employ him or her upon graduation?
No. The student may serve the internship at another federal agency. However, the nature of the work assignments must meet program requirements. Moreover, for several reasons, it is strongly recommended that the internship be served at the agency that will ultimately hire the student. For example, the internship provides the environment that helps create a bond between the student and the employer. It also helps create in the student a sense of belonging, of being a part of that agency's cadre of information assurance professionals. More importantly, the internship should be an integral part of a mentoring process that should span throughout the entire academic and employment phases of the program.

19. May an agency make an offer of employment to a student who served the internship at another agency?
There is no legal or regulatory basis to prevent an agency from making an offer of employment to a student who served the internship at another federal agency even if the student is currently on the latter's rolls. However, we strongly discourage the making of such employment offers unless the agency at which the student served the internship will be unable to place him or her. In general, by the time students reach graduation, their prospective Federal employers will have made significant investments in them in terms of time, effort and financial resources. Hence, we exhort agencies to refrain from making employment offers to students who served their internships elsewhere without consulting with the SFS Program Office and the agency to which the student is matched.

20. What happens if the student leaves his federal position before he or she serves the required period?
The student must repay a prorated amount equivalent to the length of the period not served. For example, if the student received funds for two years and serves for one-and-a-half years, he or she 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.

21. It is clear NSF funds the scholarships. Are there any program-related costs to the agency?
Yes! Federal agencies must pay the students' salary (and benefits, if applicable) during the internship and other periods of employment. Also, agencies must afford the student the opportunity to attend a one-week summer symposium. Hence, they must allocate the necessary travel funds for this required activity. We highly recommend the agency designate an official who will serve as the SFS contact and be responsible for ensuring the internship and symposium requirements are met. This official may also serve as mentor, or have the authority to procure and designate others as student mentors.

Additionally, it is expected that in virtually all cases, the positions participants will occupy and the areas in which they will work will require a security clearance. The Federal agency will bear the cost of the background investigation (if needed), case adjudication, and other expenses associated with obtaining the level of security clearance needed for the area where the student will work.

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