This job is open to
Students
Current students enrolled in an accredited high school, college or graduate institution.
Clarification from the agency
Open to Scholarship for Service (SFS) recipients pursuing a specialized certification, associates, bachelors, or graduate degree that included major study in the cybersecurity field on at least a full-time basis (or, if enrolled in community college, at least half-time), or accepted for enrollment, in a qualifying higher educational SFS institution.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen.
- Selective Service - Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service see http://www.sss.gov/
- All Federal employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
- DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
- You must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
- This position requires a pre-employment drug test. All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to a drug test to screen for illicit/illegal drug use prior to receiving a final offer of employment. A final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result.
- This Scholarship for Service internship is a temporary appointment starting in May 2026, with an initial duration of at least 12 weeks, extendable to a maximum of 20 weeks. Appointments are not to last longer than 20 weeks.
Qualifications
BASIC ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must:
- Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment at an institution that has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant under the SFS program and pursuing a specialized certification, associate's, bachelor's, or master's degree.
- Be attending school on at least a full-time basis (or, if enrolled in community college, at least half-time) as determined by the academic institution.
- Be willing to pursue studies with an emphasis in cybersecurity.
- Signed a CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) Program Agreement to Serve or Repay.
- You application package MUST include the following:
- Resume (Please see Required Documents section).
- Copy of current unofficial transcripts no more than 30 days old. Please provide transcripts from all institutions attended and degrees obtained if applicable.
- Scholarship for Service (SFS) service agreement letter.
IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC ELIGIBILITY ABOVE, YOU MUST ALSO MEET THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
To be considered minimally qualified for a position, you must demonstrate that you have the required education for the respective grade level in which you are applying.
You qualify for the GS-03 grade level, if you have:
EDUCATION: Completion of one (1) full academic year of post-high school study from an accredited institution. (NOTE: One (1) academic year of undergraduate education is defined as 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours.)
You qualify for the GS-04 grade level, if you have:
EDUCATION:
A. Associate's degree or equivalent undergraduate degree from an accredited institution.
OR
B. Completion of two (2) full academic years of post-high school study from an accredited institution. (NOTE: Two (2) academic years of undergraduate education is defined as 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours.)
You qualify for the GS-05 grade level, if you have:
EDUCATION:
A. Bachelor's degree or equivalent undergraduate degree from an accredited institution.
OR
B. Completion of four (4) full academic years of post-high school study leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent undergraduate degree from an accredited institution. (NOTE: Four (4) academic years of undergraduate education is defined as 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours.)
You qualify for the GS-07 grade level, if you have:
EDUCATION:
A. Completion of one (1) full academic year of graduate education from an accredited institution. (NOTE: One (1) academic year of graduate education is defined as the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one (1) academic year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school transcript(s), then 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours is considered as satisfying the one (1) year of full-time study requirement.)
OR
B. Bachelor's degree or equivalent undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with
Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) is based on one of the following:
(1)
Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR
(2)
Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of:
- 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or
- 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR
NOTE: Grade-point averages are rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.
(3)
Honor Society Membership - Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies recognized by the
Association of College Honor Societies.
You qualify for the GS-09 grade level, if you have:
EDUCATION:
A. Master's or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited institution.
OR
B. Completion of two (2) full academic years of graduate level education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited institution. (NOTE: Two (2) academic years of graduate education is defined as the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent two (2) academic years of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school transcript(s), then 36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours is considered as satisfying the two (2) years of full-time study requirement.)
NOTE: When academic credit is expressed in contract months, units, or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the appropriate institution in order to equate them to the specified semester or quarter hours.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent (e.g., letter from the registrar, acceptance letter, unofficial transcripts) showing eligibility for the educational requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. Updated enrollment verification documentation will be required if you are selected.
Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the qualification requirements. You must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.
Additional information
- If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
- This Public Notice will serve as a resume repository - positions may or may not be filled from this announcement.
- The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the minimum base pay, GS-03, step 1 up to the maximum base pay, GS-09, step 10. This announcement covers multiple locations. The actual salary will be adjusted based on the grade, step, and locality for the selectee's duty location. General Schedule (GS) locality pay tables may be found at Salaries & Wages.
Reasonable Accommodation Requests: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified applicants and employees with a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, unless to do so would create an undue hardship to the agency (29 CFR 1614.203 (2017)). If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, contact the CISA Office of Privacy, Access, Civil Liberties, and Transparency (PACT) by sending an email to
CISA_ReasonableAccommodation@cisa.dhs.gov with the subject line, "Reasonable Accommodation Request @ CISA." In the email itself, you
must include your name, vacancy announcement number(s), and state your intent to seek a reasonable accommodation. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. For more information or inquiries, please contact the CISA Reasonable Accommodation Program at
CISA_ReasonableAccommodation@cisa.dhs.gov.
Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Under the provisions of the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS) Program, veterans' preference does not apply.
Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, transcripts, and SFS agreement) and the responses you provide on the application questionnaire.
Traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply to this announcement.
If you are determined qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. The interview process may consist of in-person or phone panel interview.
To preview the application questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12816306
Required Documents
All documents, including transcripts, must be in English.
1. RESUME:
- Your resume MUST not exceed 2-pages in length and show a detailed description of your job-related qualifications, with dates specified in month and year and hours worked per week. Your resume MUST show a detailed description of your job-related qualifications to include start and end dates with the month and year and hours worked per week for all jobs listed. For military or Federal civilian service, you MUST include your pay plan/band, series, and grade (e.g., GS-0301-09). Be clear and specific when describing your work history as human resources cannot make assumptions regarding your experience. Do NOT include photographs, social media links (e.g., LinkedIn), inappropriate content, or other personal or sensitive information such as date of birth, social security number, gender, religious affiliation. IF INCLUDED YOUR RESUME WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. Please view Resume & Application Tips.
2.
COVER LETTER (OPTIONAL): Your cover letter will not be used to determine your qualifications but will be included with your resume if you are referred.
3.
EDUCATION: Submit a copy of your most recent (no more than 30 days old) official transcript, official documentation of registration, a tuition bill, or, if you are a new student, a copy of your acceptance letter from an accredited institution. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that includes your name, name of the educational institution, declared degree program, course title(s), credits completed, grade, date of completion, Grade Point Average (GPA), and date of degree conferral. Please provide transcripts from all institutions attended and degrees obtained, if applicable. If selected, updated enrollment verification documentation will be required.
4.
SFS AGREEMENT: Submit a copy of your signed CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) Program Agreement to Serve or Repay.
5.
OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS (
only submit if applicable):
- CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE: Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action which shows the grade, step, tenure (block 24) "1" (Career) or "2" (Career-Conditional), and position occupied (block 34) "1" (Competitive Service). Provide proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an Interchange Agreement. If applying for a higher grade, provide a SF-50 which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade or promotion potential held. You may need to provide more than one (1) SF-50,if your SF-50 does not clearly demonstrate that you meet the one-year time-in-grade requirement(examples of appropriate SF-50s include Appointment/Conversion, Within-Grade/Range Increases and Promotion actions). NOTE: Pay adjustments and awards are NOT acceptable.
- VETERAN DOCUMENTATION: Submit a copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 4 or equivalent).
- ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification. This must indicate your dates of active service, rank/grade, expected character of service (i.e., honorable or general) and type of separation (i.e., separation or retirement). NOTE: The VOW Act provides tentative preference. If selected, a DD-214 must be provided prior to appointment.
- 10-POINT VETERANS' PREFERENCE: If claiming 10-point Veterans' Preference, you will need to submit a SF-15 and provide an official document from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces certifying your overall compensable service-connected disability rating (NOTE: Your overall percentage must be clearly shown), and/or any other associated documentation based on your preference.
- CURRENT OR FORMER POLITICAL SCHEDULE A, SCHEDULE C, NON-CAREER SES OR PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEE EMPLOYEE: Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
- Position title;
- Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
- Agency; AND
- Beginning and ending dates of appointment.