Michael Mercier | UAH
The Center for Cybersecurity Research and Education (CCRE) at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, has announced the availability of cybersecurity scholarships through the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program and Department of Defense (DOD) Cyber Service Academy (CSA). The scholarships are open for application for the Fall 2026 semester. Any cybersecurity-related degree is eligible.
The CyberCorps SFS program is administered and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in cooperation with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Scholarship benefits include full tuition and fees, a cost-of-living stipend and reimbursement for travel expenses and professional development. Students awarded a scholarship incur a service obligation to the federal government upon graduation from UAH and are required to participate in an internship during the summer semester.
Scholarship for Service is designed to recruit and train the next generation of information technology professionals, industrial control system security professionals and security managers to meet the needs of the cybersecurity mission for Federal, State and local governments. The program provides two years of support for cybersecurity bachelor and masters programs and three years for doctoral programs.
The SFS shares an application process with the DOD CSA. The CSA has similar benefits to the SFS; however, students are immediately paired with a DOD employer upon receipt of the scholarship. Applicants may complete both applications at the same time to maximize their chances of receiving a scholarship.
Service for Scholarship benefits cover 100% of tuition fees and include an annual stipend of $27,000 for undergraduate students and $37,000 for graduate students. A total of $6,000 annual credit is allotted for professional development, travel, laptop and miscellaneous expenses. The duration of the scholarship is up to two academic years for undergraduate and master's students and up to three academic years for Ph.D. students. A scholarship recipient must earn and maintain employment with a federal organization for at least the number of years the SFS is awarded and must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA for undergraduate students and 3.2 GPA for graduate students.
The Cyber Service Academy Program also covers tuition and fees at 100%, while providing a yearly stipend of $27,000 for undergraduate students and $32,000 for graduate students. Additional benefits under this program are a $1,250 annual credit for books and $1,500 laptop allowance, and the duration runs for up to two academic years for undergraduate and master's students and up to five years total support if the student continues studies at the graduate level. Scholarship recipients must maintain employment with the federal organization in which the recipient is placed for at least the number of years the CSA is awarded, while recipients must maintain a 3.2 GPA for undergraduate students or 3.5 GPA for graduate students.
These initiatives are administered by the Director of the CCRE, Dr. Tommy Morris, and Deputy Director, Sharon Johnson. The due date for digital submissions of applications for both scholarships is by 10:59 PM CST on Jan. 28, 2026. No late submissions will be considered. Digital transcripts should be emailed directly to cyberscholarships@uah.edu.
The following majors are eligible to apply:
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Science
- Cybersecurity
- Electrical Engineering
- Information Systems
- Mathematical Sciences
- Software Engineering
- Any other cybersecurity-related degree
For more information on this program, see the SFS FAQ page. To apply, visit SFS/CSA application.