Current Scholars
Students who are offered the ICSSP scholarship and accept the scholarship are required to adhere to specified terms and conditions listed below.
- Notify the Office of Student Financial Aid of the ICSSP scholarship. Please note that this scholarship may replace loans and state grants.
- Must abide by the rules for student conduct listed in the University of Illinois Student Code and the terms of Scholarship for Service (SFS) Program Service Agreement.
- Maintain full-time student status in an on-campus program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- Maintain the expected 3.5 or higher overall and technical GPA. A minimum 3.0 overall and technical GPA is required. Students must all receive a B or higher in all security courses and other ICSSP courses.
- May not work within or outside of the university while receiving the scholarship, unless 3 conditions are met: the work must be no more than 10 hours per week, it must be security-related, and it must receive the prior approval of ICSSP program director Prof. Masooda Bashir.
- Successfully complete the scholarship curriculum requirements (see link below). Please note this includes attending the ICSSP seminars, scholarship events, completion of security research project in final year, and attendance at the annual job fair.
- Summer internship at a federal government agency, national lab, state or tribal agency prior to graduation (this applies to students who receive the scholarship for more than one year).
- Fulfill all program requirements and guidelines as stated in Scholarship for Service (SFS) Program Service Agreement.
- Please note the updated guidelines effective January 19, 2016 January 2016 ICSSP Guidelines.
Each semester, participants are evaluated to ensure they are meeting the above requirements to ensure they are eligible to continue in the program. If you have any questions, please send an email to iti-icssp-info@illinois.edu.
Undergraduate students may be eligible for an additional 2 semesters, should they wish to pursue a UIUC graduate degree in cybersecurity. This option would entail an additional year of service to the government upon graduation.
Achievements and Awards
Since its inception in 2009, the ICSSP program has been a great success. All our graduates have been recruited by top government agencies. Today, the Illinois ICSSP students are highly sought after by the recruiters due to the unparalleled track record of our alumni. Before the students graduate and go onto full-time employment, they have demonstrated their capabilities with internship opportunities at top national institutions/agencies such as MIT Lincoln Lab, Sandia National Laboratory, NSA and by participating at the various national and regional competitions. Below are some highlights of their achievements.
- One of the 10 finalist teams for the CSAW 2013, which is a national level cyber security competition organized by the New York Polytechnic.
- Secured 3rd and 2nd positions for the Illinois Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (ILCCDC) in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
- Successfully organized the 2011 Illinois CCDC at the University of Illinois. Hosted several hackathons and cyber security awareness programs at University of Illinois.
Additional Resources
- Scholarship Funds and Reimbursement Process (includes Student Travel Policy)