Frequently Asked Questions and Answers on the Information Assurance Scholarship Program
THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ARE TAKEN FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE WEBSITE AT http://www.defenselink.mil/nii/iasp/faq.htm MORE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WILL BE POSTED TO THIS SITE AS THEY ARE RECEIVED
Q: What is the DoD Information Assurance Scholarship Program? A: The DoD Information Scholarship Program will provide scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Information Assurance disciplines at a limited number of schools designated by the National Security Agency as Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAEs). Eligible students may be engaged in studies leading to a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree, or a graduate (post-baccalaureate) certificate. In order to establish a scholarship program, the CAE must submit a successful grant proposal. Students who receive scholarships are required to serve in internships as Student Career Experience Program Student Trainees with DoD during breaks in the school year. Accepting a scholarship carries with it an obligation to work for DoD as a civilian employee or to complete a service obligation with the armed forces, or the National Guard or Reserves after completing your course of study. Q: Who is eligible to apply for a DoD IA Scholarship? A: You are eligible to apply for a DoD IA Scholarship if you meet the following criteria:
You must be a rising junior or senior undergraduate, master's or doctoral candidate, or graduate certificate program student. You must be a U.S. citizen at the time of application. You must be at least 18 years of age. You must be enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) in one of the Centers of Academic Excellence (CAEs) listed at this web site, or enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at an institution selected by a CAE as a collaborating partner for these purposes. You must have completed (or will have completed by September 2004) the first two years of an undergraduate degree program and be eligible to: o (a) begin either the third or fourth years of an undergraduate degree program; o (b) begin the first or second year of a master's degree program; o (c) pursue doctoral studies; or o (d) complete a graduate (post-baccalaureate) certificate program in information assurance. You must be pursuing a course of study and/or have declared a major in one of the scientific, technical, or managerial disciplines related to computer and network
security, with a concentration in an information assurance function. For these purposes the disciplines related to computer and network security include such areas as: Mathematics, Biometrics, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Programming, Computer Support, Data Base Administration, Computer Systems Analysis, Operations Research, Information Security (Assurance) or Business Management or Administration. You must be recommended for the scholarship by your school (CAE).
Q: How much is the scholarship? A: The scholarship will provide the full cost of tuition, books, fees, lab expenses, supplies and equipment incurred by students selected for the program. Students will also be provided a stipend to cover room and board expenses: undergraduates will receive a stipend of $10,000 per academic year, and graduate students will receive a stipend of $15,000 per academic year. Disabled students may receive additional allowances. There are no allowances for dependents. You will receive a salary during your internship assignments that is in addition to scholarship assistance. Q: For what length of time will I receive scholarship support? A: Initial awards will be made for one year; second-year scholarship awards will be dependent on satisfactory academic progress, internship performance, and the availability of funds. Scholarship recipients who successfully complete the terms of an initial one- or two-year scholarship (for example, complete an undergraduate degree) may apply for a second scholarship of up to two years for completing an advanced degree or graduate certificate program. Q: Can I apply for a scholarship if I am not enrolled at one of the CAEs or their collaborating partner institutions? A: No. In the future the program may be opened to other schools not in the CAE program. Q: What are the CAE collaborating partner institutions? A: The CAEs, in applying for grant funds to establish a scholarship program, may elect to collaborate with other accredited post-secondary institutions, including accredited postsecondary minority institutions. Check with the CAE point of contact to determine whether the CAE has elected to partner with one or more collaborating institutions. Q: How do I apply for the program? A: Obtain a copy of the IA Scholarship Application Background and Requirements with application. It can be downloaded at this web site (see menu at left). However, CAEs may impose additional requirements. Therefore, it is recommended that you obtain directly
from the CAE point of contact the complete announcement and information about any school specific requirements and deadlines. Q: When is the application due? A:. Because each CAE will establish its own due date for scholarship and Student Trainee applications, application deadlines may vary from school to school. It is important that you check with the CAE point of contact to determine the specifics of the CAE’s scholarship application process and the CAE’s deadlines for applications. DoD must receive all scholarship applications from the CAEs no later than February 27, 2004; as a result, CAE deadlines for applications are likely to be well in advance of the date DoD must receive them. Q: Why is the Scholarship Announcement also called a "Vacancy" announcement? A: Your application for scholarship assistance is also an application for a DoD (federal) job. Regulations require that DoD identify an opening now for you to be employed as an intern or as a full-time employee. As an Information Assurance Scholar, you will receive job experience in information security internships during breaks in your academic studies. Upon successful completion of your academic program and intern assignments, and when other conditions of employment have been met, you will be appointed to a full-time, permanent position in DoD in order to satisfy your obligation of employment with the DoD. Alternately, you may complete a period of obligated service as a member of the National Guard or Reserves. Q: How long do I have to serve in DoD to meet the required service obligation? A: If you elected to serve your period of obligated service as a civilian employee, you are obligated to serve in DoD in a full-time civilian position one calendar year for each academic year, or partial year, for which you receive scholarship assistance. DoD internships undertaken while you are completing your academic program do not count toward satisfying the service obligation. Q: Can I meet my pay-back obligation by joining one of the armed forces? A: You may elect to complete your period of obligated service by joining the armed forces, or the National Guard or Reserves. The armed forces may have a minimum service requirement that is longer than the service obligation you incur in accepting an Information Assurance Scholarship. If so, you are required to meet the service requirement of the respective branch of the armed forces that you join. The National Guard and Reserves require members to serve two calendar years for each academic year, or partial year, for which scholarship assistance was received. Q: What if I fail to complete my service obligation?
A: In order to receive scholarship assistance, you must agree to reimburse the United States should you voluntarily terminate your employment or service before the end of your obligation period. Should you terminate your appointment under the Information Assurance Scholarship Program, or decline or refuse to honor your commitment for obligated service, you must reimburse the United States Government the cost of the scholarship assistance provided to you. Q: Are there other conditions I must meet? A: Yes. Before awarding you a scholarship or hiring you, the appointment agency will ask you to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment, or other DoD form to determine your suitability for federal employment and to authorize a background investigation of your suitability. The agency will also ask you to sign and certify the accuracy of all the information in your application. You will be required to obtain and maintain eligibility for a security clearance in order to receive financial (scholarship) assistance or an appointment under the Information Assurance Scholarship and Student Career Experience Program. Before awarding you a scholarship or hiring you, the appointing agency will ask you to complete certain forms to initiate the security clearance process. If you are a male over age 18 who was born after December 31, 1959, you must have registered with the Selective Service System (or have an exemption) to be eligible for a Federal job. On appointment, you will be required to sign an agreement to accept assignments that involve travel or changes in duty stations, assignments in different organizations and functional areas, and assignment in different geographic areas during your internship and while serving in any permanent, full-time position to which you are converted on program completion. Q: Can I get an internship without a scholarship? A: No. However, some of the Military Departments and DoD agencies have established cooperative education and internship programs that are unrelated to the IASP. You may wish to check the websites of various Military Departments and DoD agencies for information about these unrelated opportunities. The Office of Personnel Management’s USA Jobs website may also provide information about separate cooperative education and internship opportunities within DoD. Q: How will my application be evaluated? A: Your application will go through a 3-step evaluation process. First, it will be reviewed and evaluated by your school (CAE). CAEs are required by DoD to conduct a preliminary screening of applicants for academic sufficiency, and to evaluate each applicant's knowledge and ability in certain competencies important to information assurance work. Each CAE will determine the exact procedure it will follow in conducting this preliminary evaluation. Second, after all applications are received by DoD, your application will be evaluated by DoD Human Resources officials. Each applicant's education (degree) level, academic achievements, work experience, and competency for federal appointment will be examined and applicants will be ranked for selection consideration. Finally, DoD agencies
participating in the program will consider applicants certified for selection consideration and will make tentative selections. In-person or telephonic interviews may or may not be conducted as part of the DoD evaluation process. Q: When will I learn whether or not I have been selected to participate in the program? A: All applicants, successful and unsuccessful, should be notified of the status of their applications by July 2004. Q: What happens after I am selected? A: The DoD agency that wants to appoint you as a Student Trainee, or hire you, will contact you to extend a tentative offer of employment (contingent on satisfaction of all appointment prerequisites) and to initiate new-hire processing. You may be asked to travel to a location the agency specifies for processing, to include initiation of suitability and security clearance processes. (Travel costs will be covered through the CAE’s scholarship program grant, or by the DoD agency.) After all preliminary processing steps are completed satisfactorily, you will be given a final offer of appointment and appointed as a Student Trainee or an employee of a specific agency. You will receive instructions about when, where and how to report for any new employee orientation and your intern assignments at that time. Q: At what federal grade level will I be appointed as a Student Trainee? A: This will vary. You could receive an offer of appointment at GS-4, GS-5, GS-7, or GS-9, depending on your qualifications (your academic degree level and/or work experience) and the needs of the DoD agency that selects you. Q: Who will arrange for my intern assignments? A: Your intern (experiential) assignments will be specifically tailored to your academic schedule. You, your school officials, DoD human resource officials, and your DoD agency supervisor will jointly coordinate and arrange for your intern assignments soon after your appointment. An agreement between DoD and your school will be negotiated specifying the general conditions for your intern assignments. Q: Where will I serve my internship and where will I complete my service obligation after I earn my degree? A: You will serve your internship and may be employed in a full-time, civilian position with one of the Department of Defense Military Departments (the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, or the Department of the Air Force) or with another DoD component. These DoD organizations have installations world-wide. If you elect to complete your service obligation with the National Guard or Reserves, your service would be performed at any duty location to which you are ordered, world-wide.
Q: Can I select the location for my Student Trainee job and permanent assignment? A: No. The application for the program allows you to specify a preference for up to three DoD components for your internship and permanent assignment. However, the Department of Defense cannot guarantee that your assignment preferences as an intern, or in any permanent position to which you are subsequently converted, can be honored. Your preferences for assignment as a civilian employee will be taken into account, along with other relevant factors such as mission, functional and staffing requirements, the exigencies of service, the availability of funds, and any hardships you may demonstrate. Q: What happens when I am in school and not participating in intern assignments? A: This may vary depending upon the DoD agency. If you are appointed to the SCEP program, you remain a federal appointee (Student Trainee) at the grade level at which you were appointed; however, when you are not actually working on an intern assignment, you will be placed in what is called a Leave Without Pay (LWOP) status. During these periods of non-work time, you do not receive a salary. Q: Will I be assigned a mentor? A: Yes. In addition to your regular supervisor, DoD will assign a mentor to you during the period of your Information Assurance Scholarship Program participation. The mentor's job will be to get to know you, provide you general guidance and support, help you to resolve any major difficulties you may encounter while completing program requirements, and give you professional, career-related advice during your program participation. Q: Will I really be given meaningful work during my intern assignments? A: Your intern assignments will be tailored to your grade level, your experience background, the work available at your DoD agency duty location, your academic studies, and your academic schedule. Every effort will be made by your DoD agency to ensure that all or nearly all of your intern assignments present you with learning opportunities that will allow you to contribute in meaningful ways to accomplishment of the hiring agency's performance goals and objectives. Q: Will I receive any non-academic training while I am participating in the Information Assurance Scholarship Program? A: Your employing DoD agency may direct you to undergo certain specialty training while you are a program participant, if necessary to perform your intern assignments, or to further your development in a certain area, if there is time available. Q: Well-qualified information technology professionals are in great demand in some areas. Does DoD pay bonuses to information technology workers?
A: Bonuses are paid at the discretion of each DoD agency. On successful completion of the Information Assurance Scholarship Program, the agency that offers you a permanent job may also offer you a bonus if it chooses to do so. But, remember that you must serve a period of obligated service with DoD after attainment of your degree and successful completion of the program, whether or not you are offered a bonus of any kind. Q: If I decide to complete my service obligation as a civilian employee, what kind of permanent job will I get if I successfully complete the Information Assurance Scholarship Program? A: The kinds of permanent jobs available to you on successful completion of the Information Assurance Scholarship Program will depend on your academic background and experience, and the specific needs of the DoD agency that will employ you. Position assignments for personnel with IA backgrounds may be in such areas as Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) operations; system/network administration; computer network security architecture and engineering; research and development; modeling and simulation; system certification and information technology acquisition, to name a few. However, while you are guaranteed a permanent position on satisfactory completion of the program, you are not guaranteed any particular kind of job, grade level, appointment type, or tenure category. You should inquire of agency officials about any plans for your permanent placement when you are tentatively offered appointment. Q: Does DoD have a formal career program for information assurance professionals? A: The Deputy Secretary of Defense has endorsed the concept of a DoD certification program for IA personnel. The certification program for information assurance professionals includes certain competency-based and role-based development. Your supervisor and mentor can help you assess your education and experience background and prepare for certification after you receive your appointment as a Student Trainee. If you would like to know more about the competency-based and role-based models for development of information technology and information assurance professionals, the following two web sites contain specific information of interest: