Press Release

Senator Gillibrand Promotes Cyber Service Academy At Suffolk County Community College; Encourages Students To Apply For Scholarship-For-Service Cyber Program

Dec 11, 2023

Suffolk County Community College Is One Of 19 New York Institutions Eligible To Offer The Program;

Students To Receive A Year Of Free College For Every Year Of Public Service

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined elected officials and educators to encourage Suffolk County Community College students to apply to the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program, which grants students free college in return for public service in the Department of Defense (DoD). Gillibrand created the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program in 2022 through her work on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and this year, has secured language to allow graduates to serve in the Intelligence Community as well.

“There are thousands of unfilled public-sector cybersecurity positions, leaving our country with a severe shortage of cyber personnel needed to protect the United States from adversaries like Russia. I developed the Cyber Service Academy to help meet these needs and give our youth a path to good-paying jobs,” said Senator Gillibrand. “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. Suffolk County Community College is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, and I encourage students to apply, earn free college, and serve our great nation.”

With thousands of unfilled public-sector cybersecurity positions, it is more essential than ever that the U.S. create a pipeline for a talented, highly-trained cyber workforce. Just 7% of federal employees in computer science, computer engineering and information technology positions are under 30. 

The Cyber Academy scholarship includes:

  1. A scholarship covering the full cost of tuition, select books and fees, a stipend, purchase of a laptop, and more;
  2. Areas of study including cybersecurity, cyber operations, digital and multimedia forensics, computer crime investigations, and more;
  3. A service commitment that starts after the awarding of a recipient’s degree;
  4. Roles throughout the DoD, and soon the Intelligence Community, for a period equivalent to the length of a recipient’s scholarship.

Suffolk County Community College is one of 19 New York institutions eligible to offer the program because of its designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity. 

Interested students should go to www.gillibrand.senate.gov/cyberacademy and click on the DoD Cyber Scholarship Program link to apply. This page will continue to be updated as the DoD refines its application process. Open enrollment starts November 1st.