Sec. 406. Federal cyber scholarship-for-service program

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The Director of the National Science Foundation, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall carry out a Federal cyber scholarship-for-service program to recruit and train the next generation of information technology professionals and security managers to meet the needs of the cybersecurity mission for the Federal Government. The program shall— annually assess the workforce needs of the Federal Government for cybersecurity professionals, including network engineers, software engineers, and other experts in order to determine how many scholarships should be awarded annually to ensure that the workforce needs following graduation match the number of scholarships awarded; provide scholarships for up to 1,000 students per year in their pursuit of undergraduate or graduate degrees in the cybersecurity field, in an amount that may include coverage for full tuition, fees, and a stipend; require each scholarship recipient, as a condition of receiving a scholarship under the program, to serve in a Federal information technology workforce for a period equal to one and one-half times each year, or partial year, of scholarship received, in addition to an internship in the cybersecurity field, if applicable, following graduation; provide a procedure for the National Science Foundation or a Federal agency, consistent with regulations of the Office of Personnel Management, to request and fund a security clearance for a scholarship recipient, including providing for clearance during a summer internship and upon graduation; and provide opportunities for students to receive temporary appointments for meaningful employment in the Federal information technology workforce during school vacation periods and for internships.

For purposes of any law or regulation governing the appointment of an individual in the Federal civil service, upon the successful completion of the student's studies, a student receiving a scholarship under the program may— be hired under section 213.3102(r) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations; and be exempt from competitive service. Upon satisfactory fulfillment of the service term under paragraph (1), an individual may be converted to a competitive service position without competition if the individual meets the requirements for that position.

The eligibility requirements for a scholarship under this section shall include that a scholarship applicant— be a citizen of the United States; be eligible to be granted a security clearance; maintain a grade point average of 3.2 or above on a 4.0 scale for undergraduate study or a 3.5 or above on a 4.0 scale for postgraduate study; demonstrate a commitment to a career in improving the security of the information infrastructure; and has demonstrated a level of proficiency in math or computer sciences.

A scholarship recipient under this section shall be liable to the United States under paragraph

(2)if the scholarship recipient— fails to maintain an acceptable level of academic standing in the educational institution in which the individual is enrolled, as determined by the Director; is dismissed from such educational institution for disciplinary reasons; withdraws from the program for which the award was made before the completion of such program; declares that the individual does not intend to fulfill the service obligation under this section; fails to fulfill the service obligation of the individual under this section; or loses a security clearance or becomes ineligible for a security clearance. If a circumstance under paragraph

(1)occurs before the completion of 1 year of a service obligation under this section, the total amount of awards received by the individual under this section shall be repaid. If a circumstance described in subparagraph

(D)or

(E)of paragraph

(1)occurs after the completion of 1 year of a service obligation under this section, the total amount of scholarship awards received by the individual under this section, reduced by the ratio of the number of years of service completed divided by the number of years of service required, shall be repaid. The Director of the National Science Foundation shall— evaluate the success of recruiting individuals for scholarships under this section and of hiring and retaining those individuals in the public sector workforce, including the annual cost and an assessment of how the program actually improves the Federal workforce; and periodically report the findings under paragraph

(1)to Congress. From amounts made available under section 503 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (124 Stat. 4005), the Secretary may use funds to carry out the requirements of this section for fiscal years 2014 through 2015.

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124 Stat. 4005

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Sec. 406

Federal cyber scholarship-for-service program

Stat.124 Stat. 4005

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