Department of Defense Cyber Service Academy (CSA)
Formerly known as the DoD Cybersecurity Scholarship Program (CySP)
About the Program
The Department of Defense Cyber Service Academy (DoD CSA) at CSUSB began in 2016. With the help of Congressman Pete Aguilar (CA District 33), the DoD CSA program was restarted and provides schools designated as Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cybersecurity the opportunity to develop this grant-funded scholarship program. Since 2016, we’ve awarded nearly $500,000 in scholarships.
As a CAE in Cyber Defense, CSUSB selects the most qualified candidate applications to send to the Department of Defense (DoD) each year. After reviewing all of the applications it receives nationwide, the DoD selects individuals to participate in the program. This program is one of the most competitive and prestigious in the Nation, with anywhere between 50-100 yearly participants.
Students selected to participate in the program receive tuition, books, and a stipend to cover room and board. The stipends are $29,000 for undergraduate students and $34,000 for graduate students. Students can apply for either a 1, 2, or 4 year scholarship, with a post-graduate obligation for the same number of years toward federal service. Students are required to complete an internship with the Department of Defense during the summer. Internships do NOT count towards the post-graduation obligation requirements.
Cyber Scholarship Information Sessions
Join us in for an information session on the Scholarship for Service (SFS) and Department of Defense Cyber Service Academy(CSA)! Sessions are taking place online and in-person on:
December 1st, 12PM-1PM - JB254
December 15th, 12PM-1PM - JB254
January 14th, 12PM-1PM - JB254
January 23th, 12PM-1PM - JB102
Registration now open. Please complete our interest form here. Attendance at one of the info sessions is required to continue the application process.
Eligibility Requirements
Before reviewing the application, you must determine whether or not you meet the eligibility requirements.
Students eligible for the Department of Defense Cyber Service Academy must:
- Be a United States Citizen, 18+ Older
- Be a full-time CSUSB student (outside employment is prohibited while receiving the DoD CSA Scholarship)
- Be pursuing an eligible academic program in Cybersecurity at CSUSB*
- Be completing a first undergraduate, first graduate degree, or both
- Have 3.2+ GPA for undergraduate students or a 3.5+ for graduate students
- Be eligible for federal employment
- Be able to obtain a security clearance
Eligible Degree Programs
- BS Information Systems & Technology, Cybersecurity
- BS Intelligence & Crime Analysis, Cybersecurity
- BS Computer Science, Cybersecurity
- MS Information Systems & Technology, Cybersecurity
- MS National Cybersecurity Studies
- MPA Cybersecurity Concentration
- MS Computer Science, Cybersecurity
For more information about the program, please contact the Center for Cyber and AI at cyber@csusb.edu or 909-537-7535.
