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PROVO — Cybersecurity has become crucial to everyday life in a world with ever-changing technology. As such, BYU was given a more than $3 million grant for scholarships to benefit students in the cybersecurity program.
The National Science Foundation awarded BYU's cybersecurity program with a five-year, $3.7 million grant called the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service, an award recognizing students for technical talent, moral integrity, leadership and second-language skills. This grant has only been given to six schools in the country.
Information technology and cybersecurity professor Derek Hansen said "many" federal agencies encouraged BYU to apply for the grant because they want more BYU students working for them. He said BYU is known in the cybersecurity industry for producing students with "high ethical standards, technical rigor, international experience and overall maturity."
The cybersecurity program is housed in the electrical and computer engineering department at the university. Alumni from the program have gone on to work for the National Security Agency, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and various branches of the military, a release from BYU said.
"Some of the best cybersecurity professional development happens in government jobs because they are the only ones with legal authority, access to top-secret information, and specialized tools at their disposal," Hansen said.
The grant is designed to enhance the nation's cybersecurity workforce and enrich the academic experience for students.
"We think our program is one of the best in the nation and this grant will help us gain more recognition and visibility as one of the top destinations for cybersecurity talent," Hansen said. "This new grant will pave the way for some of our brightest students to work in government jobs protecting our citizens' data from those with malevolent intent."
The scholarship will cover tuition and gives students a living stipend of $27,000 for undergraduates and $37,000 for graduate students. Recipients will also receive $6,000 for books, certifications and travel to seminars that offer specialized training and personalized introductions to government agencies.
Students who receive the scholarship are required to work summer internships with government organizations and take jobs with a federal agency or research lab after graduation for at least the same number of years for which they received the grant. If not, they are required to repay the grant money they received, the university said.
Professor Albert Tay helped secure the grant for BYU and said it will provide cybersecurity students "with greater and unparalleled opportunities for both academic and professional advancement."
For nearly 12 years, BYU has been recognized by the National Security Agency as a "center of academic excellence in cyber defense," the release said. Originally an emphasis in the information technology major, the cybersecurity major was created in 2018 and has grown every year since.
BYU cybersecurity student Emmie Hall said she is interested in applying for the scholarship as it will give her time to focus on schoolwork and get her involved with extracurriculars.
"Working for the government is a solid career path where I'd get to explore a lot of different aspects of cybersecurity in a capacity that you can't get anywhere else," Hall said.
