Saving CyberCorps: The case against killing the Scholarship for Service

Despite the rising cyber threats posed by China and other adversaries, the United States is poised to erode its frontline defenses, both now and in the future, by reducing its capacity to field a capable and committed cyber workforce. Fixing this impeding crisis will require quick action on the part of both the Trump administration and Congress. 

China’s cyber campaigns against the United States amount to operational preparation of the battlefield, with Beijing targeting both privately owned critical infrastructure and federal systems. Over the past two years, Chinese hackers have infiltrated the Treasury Department to steal information related to sanctions enforcement, stolen data from the Commerce Department related to export controls and may have gainedaccess to secure computer systems within the Department of Defense – all while burrowing deeper into American water systems, electrical grids and hospitals.

Washington’s current response, however, remains hampered by strategic missteps, perhaps none more significant than its efforts to undercut the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service program. An initiative akin to the Reserve Officer Training Corps, the program allows the federal government to compensate students who receive cyber-related degrees and subsequently enter the public service, while also providing funding for colleges and universities to offer strong cyber programs. Since the program awarded the first grants in 2001, CyberCorps has grown from nine graduating students entering the federal workforce to around 450 yearly graduates, each joining federal agencies in critical cybersecurity positions and bolstering the nation’s cyber defense capabilities. 

Despite this progress, the Trump administration has committed to slashing the program’s budget while limiting its efficacy. While the congressionally mandated Cyberspace Solarium Commission recommendedyearly increases to eventually enable 2,000 students to fill federal cyber roles annually, the Trump administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget request reflects a 65% cut in program funding. These cuts would reduce Washington’s investment in its cyber defenses by over $40 million and may prevent new entrants to the program, effectively eliminating the program’s consistent stream of federal workers and compounding the effect of the Trump administration’s cuts to federal cyber agencies this year. 

Though these cuts would primarily fall on future students, the Trump administration has doubled down on the damage via its federal hiring freeze. Many Corps members reportedly have been unable to secure federal government jobs or have had job offers rescinded due to the freeze, potentially imposing hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt on the grant recipients who would now have to pay back loans. These students may seek higher-paying positions in the private sector – defeating the purpose of the program entirely and erasing the government’s return on their investment. By placing these students in their current predicament, the United States government is eroding the trust and stability that make the program attractive to prospective students.

While the White House has promised to rectify the problem by deferring students’ timelines to gain a federal position, thus avoiding the transformation of their grants into loans, this offer is at best a short-term fix, given that many of the positions CyberCorps participants would fill have either been cut or are slated to be defunded. While in rare cases students can meet their service requirements through positions in state and local governments, the program overwhelmingly focuses on the federal civil service. In addition to restoring funding for the program, the government should broaden the requirements to include more state and local positions, especially as greater responsibility for cybersecurity is pushed to these understaffed and underfunded organizations. 

CyberCorps provides the United States with a pipeline of highly educated, highly motivated young professionals dedicated to public service, allowing the country to benefit from a range of distributed talent across the federal government capable of countering China’s efforts to penetrate American secrets and disrupt American life. Moreover, the program remains a cost-effective method to maintain a strong force-readiness posture while adapting to a rapidly changing American workforce. 

For the price of covering participants’ tuition and a minor stipend, the program allows Washington access to emerging talent at nearly half the cost of private-sector recruitment, according to our research – allowing the government to effectively purchase potential without the pain of paying for experience. This investment produces even greater gains over time, as graduates who stay within the public sector, which is aging more rapidly than its private counterpart, continue to offer substantial value while contributing to key national security missions. 

CyberCorps is a cost-effective program to deter our adversaries and enhance our domestic competitiveness. Killing it is a strategic mistake that will impact the ability of the federal government to gain and maintain a strong cyber workforce for years to come. 

Sophie McDowall is a research associate and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation. Jack Burnham is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ China Program.