CISA opens 100 applications for CyberCorps students

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said it will make 100 internship opportunities available to students participating in a government scholarship program that’s been hampered by federal hiring freezes enacted by the Trump administration. 

The move announced Wednesday would allow undergraduate and graduate students to enter the cyber defense agency under the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service Program, a longstanding workforce pipeline used to place top student talent into U.S. cybersecurity positions.

The announcement comes after the Office of Personnel Management said last month it would pursue a “mass deferment” of deadlines for CyberCorps students to land qualifying jobs, following reports showing the program has been hobbled by recent federal employment logjams and is leaving many recruits burdened by debt.

Scholarship terms stipulate that students must secure a qualifying job approved by OPM within an 18-month window after completing their studies. If they don’t meet that deadline, their ...