The Scholars for Service Program (SFS) at California State University, San Bernardino is once again open for applications. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the SFS program provides substantial scholarships to students who are interested in studying cybersecurity. 

The SFS program is open to all students who have two years of coursework still to complete. A technical background is not needed — only an interest in cybersecurity.

Four information sessions will be held in Jack Brown Hall, Room 122, from noon until 1 p.m. on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, March 13, and Wednesday, March 14;
  • Tuesday, April 3, and Wednesday, April 4.

Students are encouraged to attend any of the information sessions. The application deadline is May 1. 

There are a limited number of scholarships. Undergraduate students accepted into the program will have tuition and books paid for and will receive a stipend of $22,500 per year. The SFS program is also open to graduate students pursuing a degree with a cybersecurity focus. Graduate students accepted into the program will have their tuition and books paid for and receive stipends of $34,000.

“This is a remarkable program that is open to any student with a 3.0 GPA,” says Tony Coulson, director of the Cyber Security Center at CSUSB and a professor of information and decision sciences. “Students receive intensive hands-on training in all aspects of cybersecurity in addition to an excellent business education. They also have access to important and substantive internships in Washington, D.C., that prepare them to serve at the highest levels of government upon graduation.”

Every year, SFS students are invited to travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in a highly competitive job fair sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

“We take 20 SFS students to Washington, D.C., and they compete with more than 700 students from other universities for internships and jobs,” says Coulson. “Our 20 students all come back with great internships and job offers from top government agencies, defense contractors, and private firms.”

Scholarship recipients must work after graduation for a federal, state, local or tribal government organization in a position related to cybersecurity for a period equal to the length of the scholarship. 

For more information about the Cyber Security Center in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration, and the SFS program, contact Tony Coulson at  tcoulson@csusb.edu, or Valentina Felix, project manager, at vfelix@csusb.edu or (909) 537-5702.