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Lock Up Scholarship Funds to Study Cybersecurity

By U.S. News & World Report

Cybersecurity is heating up. A 2016 CyberSeek report identified that nearly 350,000 online cybersecurity job listings were posted in the U.S. from July 2015 through June 2016.

Most cybersecurity careers feature high starting salaries , with the median pay in 2016 at more than $92,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau also predicts 18 percent job growth by 2024, which is faster than the average.

With increased demand for trained cybersecurity specialists, a number of organizations devote scholarship funds to encourage college students to study this field .

[Learn how to plug into scholarships for aspiring IT professionals.]

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, for example, offers the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service, which is designed to boost the number of government information assurance professionals. The scholarships cover the full tuition and fees for recipients who attend a participating university full time and pursue a cybersecurity-related degree. They also receive annual stipends — $22,500 for undergraduate students and $34,00 0 for graduate students.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents to apply. Recipients are required to complete a government internship and then work full time for a government agency following graduation, one year of postgraduation employement for each academic year the student received the scholarship. Each participating university manages its own application and selection process, so interested students should contact the individual institution for applications and deadline information.

The Center for Cyber Safety and Education also offers a number scholarships for prospective cybersecurity professionals.

— Undergraduate scholarships: Each year, the center provides 15-19 undergraduate awards, valued at up to $5,000 each. High school seniors and college freshmen, sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply.

Applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale and may be attending school in the U.S. or internationally as well as online or part time. Applications must include a letter of recommendation and a personal essay of no more than three pages, double spaced. Awards are for one year, but winners may apply again for subsequent years. The current application cycle is closed, but check the website for updated information on the 2018 awards.

[Discover how to fund your international curiosity with foreign affairs scholarships.]

— Graduate: The center also annually awards 16-20 graduate awards at up to $5,000 per recipient. These are open to students beginning the first or second year of a master’s program or those seeking a doctoral degree.

Applicants must have at least a 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale and may be studying in the U.S. or abroad, online or part time. As with the undergraduate awards, applications must include a letter of recommendation and a personal essay up to three pages, double spaced. Winners may reapply for the scholarship after their first year as a recipient. Check the site for updated 2018 application information and deadlines.

— The women’s scholarship: The center offers two types of scholarships for female students. Female high school seniors and college freshmen, sophomores and juniors are eligible for the center’s four to eight Women in Information Security Scholarships, which total $40,000 each year.

Female high school seniors and first-year undergraduates can also apply for one of three of the $8,000 Raytheon’s Women in Cyber Security Scholarship Awards. Additionally, the center offers up to three scholarships for women who are in the middle of their career but are changing career paths to cybersecurity.

Graduate students are not eligible for either scholarship, and eligibility and application requirements are the same as for the center’s other scholarships. Check the website for updated 2018 application information and deadlines.

[Read about scholarships for STEM majors.]

Female students interested in cyber security can also explore the multiple Scholarships for Women Studying Information Security that Applied Computer Security Associates and the Computing Research Association offer annually. Awards are valued at up to $10,000.

Female applicants must be pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degrees in information security. By Feb. 1, they must submit transcripts, the university name and their class status, letters of reference and an essay describing their interest and background in the field. Recipients can renew the scholarship for a second year if they meet certain conditions.

With data breaches occurring frequently, cybersecurity jobs are stable and growing. And with these and other scholarship opportunities, earning a degree to enter this job field is financially more manageable.

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Lock Up Scholarship Funds to Study Cybersecurity originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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