St. John’s Urges Participation in National Cyber Service Academy Scholarship Program

As a recognized National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C), St. John’s University is one of just 24 schools in New York State (and only seven in New York City) included in the National Cyber Service Academy Scholarship Program. The program grants students free college in return for public service in the US Department of Defense (DoD).

US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Senate Armed Services Committee member, helped create the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program in 2022 and secured language to allow graduates to serve in the US Intelligence Community.

The Cyber Service Academy scholarship program covers the full cost of tuition, select books and fees, a stipend for room and board, purchase of a laptop, and additional benefits. Areas of study include cybersecurity, cyber operations, digital and multimedia forensics, computer crime investigations, and more.

The Cyber Service Academy requires a service commitment for a period equivalent to the length of a recipient’s scholarship that starts after graduation, with opportunities to serve throughout the DoD and the Intelligence Community. The room and board stipend ranges from $25,000/year for community college students and up to $34,000 per year for graduate students. Applicants must be either enrolled or accepted for enrollment at an eligible institution to qualify for the Cyber Service Academy program.

Academy students will be required to serve in the DoD or the Intelligence Community for one year per year of scholarship, up to five years, and are expected to serve in internships during school breaks.

St. John’s University meets the rigorous cybersecurity curriculum and program requirements required to be NCAE-C certified and provides an innovative approach to cybersecurity and information security curriculum that adapts to every student, including their industry, field of interest, and unique needs.

Housed in The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies, St. John’s University’s Cybersecurity Center is the central point of information concerning the multidisciplinary research, education, training, and practice in cybersecurity. This University-wide center was created to provide current and future St. John’s students with cybersecurity program guidance and general information, and promote collaboration and interaction with other students, faculty, and programs within St. John’s University and the cybersecurity community. In 2022, it was designated a Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cybersecurity Defense by the US Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency/Central Security Service through the academic year 2027.

St. John’s Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security Systems program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET. It prepares students for positions in the cybersecurity field and helps them advance their professional development through self-directed learning and/or graduate study.

St. John’s 30-credit Master of Science degree in Cyber and Information Security accelerates a student’s career and transforms their worldview through an immersive learning experience that connects them with the brightest minds in the field and state-of-the-art learning resources.

Interested students should go https://public.cyber.mil/wid/csa/ and click on the DoD Cyber Scholarship Program link to apply. The application for the 2025–26 academic year is open through February 1.