Senator Gillibrand Promotes Cyber Service Academy at SUNY Canton

Visit promotes Cyber Security and encourages SUNY Canton students to apply for scholarship-for-service cyber program

• Gillibrand’s Cyber Service Academy will create pipeline of cyber professionals to protect national security.
• Nearly 30,000 Department of Defense cyber positions remain unfilled
• Starting in their junior year in a four-year program, or the second year in an associate’s degree program, students receive a year of free college for every year committed to public service
• Interested students can learn more at Senator Gillibrand’s Cyber Academy website

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined elected officials and educators to encourage SUNY Canton students to apply to the Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Service Academy scholarship program, which provides full college tuition in return for public service in the DoD or the Intelligence Community (IC). Successful applicants will serve one year in the DoD or the IC as a civilian employee for each year of their scholarship.

SUNY Canton is one of 24 New York institutions that qualify to host students through the program because of their designations as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity. Gillibrand created the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program through her work on the Senate Armed Services Committee. With nearly 30,000 unfilled DoD cyber positions, it is more essential than ever that the U.S. create a pipeline for a talented, highly trained cyber workforce.

“Thousands of unfilled DoD cyber positions leave our country with a severe shortage of personnel needed to protect the United States from adversaries like Russia. I developed the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program to help meet these needs and give our youth a path to good-paying jobs in government,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This program will create a pipeline for a talented, highly trained cyber workforce, granting one year of free college for every year of subsequent public service. SUNY Canton is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, and I encourage students to apply, earn free tuition, and serve our great nation.”

“The World’s Conflicts have changed dramatically since the early 1900s. Today’s conflicts are being fought on a different kind of battlefield with computers and coding being used as weaponry.  One of Americas top priorities is to fill thousands of positions in the cyber security industry in the coming years,” said New York State Assemblyman Scott A. Gray. “The Department of Defense is looking for some of the world’s most talented individuals to fill these cyber security positions and programs like this one at SUNY Canton allow for some the North Countries brightest to take on the challenge. I would like to thank the SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran and US Senator Gillibrand for being strong supporters of this program and I look forward to seeing the future success of this program.”

“Cybersecurity is a rapidly growing field that is critical to maintaining each individual’s privacy, the continuity of all business transactions, and the nation’s security. At SUNY Canton, it’s also our fastest-growing bachelor’s degree program with nearly 300 students,” said SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran. “We strongly support the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program championed by Senator Gillibrand as a vital step in ensuring the nation will have a well-trained workforce now and in the foreseeable future.”

The Cyber Service Academy scholarship program includes:

1. A scholarship covering the full cost of tuition, select books and fees, a stipend for room and board, and the purchase of a laptop;
2. Areas of study including cybersecurity, cyber operations, digital and multimedia forensics, computer crime investigations;
3. A service commitment for a period equivalent to the length of a recipient’s scholarship that starts after graduation; and
4. Opportunities to serve throughout the DoD and the Intelligence Community.

Interested students should go to the Cyber Academy Website and click on the DoD Cyber Scholarship Program link to apply. This page will continue to be updated as the DoD refines its application process. The application for the 2025-2026 academic year is open through February 1, 2025.