Summary

The National Security Agency (NSA) is currently accepting applications nationwide for the Stokes Educational Scholarship Program. This highly competitive tuition assistance program is designed for high school seniors who plan to pursue degrees in the following STEM disciplines:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Engineering
• Computer Science
• Cybersecurity
• Data Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Mathematics

Learn more about this agency

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Students

Current students enrolled in an accredited high school, college or graduate institution.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Duties

As a participant in the program, you will attend college full-time at an accredited institution of your choice within the United States and work at NSA for a minimum of 12 weeks each summer in positions related to your field of study. In return, participants are required to work at NSA in their area of study after graduation for a period equal to one and one-half times the length of their scholarship support. Participants who leave the program before fulfilling this service commitment will be required to repay the government for tuition and mandatory educational fees received through the program.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• All applicants and employees are subject to random drug testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564.

Qualifications

Please note that eligibility requirements may change from year to year. Basic qualifications are listed below.

Important:

• Applicants who have a full college scholarship are not eligible for the Stokes Program.
• Students who are dually enrolled and will earn an AA degree are also not eligible for this program. Those students are encouraged to apply to the Cooperative Ad or the Summer Internship Ad instead.

Basic Requirements for High School Seniors Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• U.S. citizenship
• Preferred GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
• Demonstrated leadership ability
• Minimum SAT score of 1200
• 600 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
• 600 Math

OR

• Minimum ACT score of 25

Education

Students accepted into the program must maintain:

• A minimum 2.75 GPA on a 4.0 scale during the freshman year
• A minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale each semester/quarter after the freshman year

Academic Coursework Requirements For Data Science, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Electrical Engineering High school transcripts must show:

• At least one Physics or Calculus course, and
• At least two courses combined in any of the following:
• Data Science
• Computer Science
• Computer Programming
• Engineering

For Mathematics High school transcripts must show:

• One Physics course
• One Calculus course
• At least two courses combined in any of the following:
• Data Science
• Computer Science
• Computer Programming
• Engineering

For Cybersecurity High school transcripts must show:

• A minimum of three years of coursework in cybersecurity or computer science

Additional information

Salary Range: $35,749 - $43,120

The Stokes Educational Scholarship Program offers students a unique opportunity to gain valuable STEM experience across the Agency while earning an annual salary. Selected participants may receive up to $30,000 per academic year toward tuition and mandatory educational fees. Students whose school is located more than 75 miles from NSA may also be eligible for housing and travel benefits during summer employment at NSA.

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.

Benefits

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.

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.

All positions at the National Security Agency are in the excepted service.

U.S. citizenship is required for all applicants. A security clearance must be granted prior to employment, and applicants must successfully complete extensive pre-employment processing. This includes:

• Aptitude testing
• A Psychologist interview
• A security interview conducted with the aid of a polygraph
• A personnel interview
• A background investigation

Required Documents

The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans' Preference to eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you may be asked to submit documents verifying your eligibility.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting 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.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1261803

Agency contact information

NSA POC

Phone

1-844-424-4737

Email

[email protected]

Next steps

https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1261803

Overview

Accepting applications

Location

Many vacancies in the following location:

Fort Meade, MD

No matching locations found.

Work site options

Telework eligible

No

Remote job

No

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.

Salary

$35,749 - $43,120 per year

Pay scale & grade

GG 2

Promotion potential

None

Learn more about pay scale and grade

Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.

Work schedule

Full-time

Travel Required

Not required

Appointment type

Summer

Occupations and job series

• 0132 Intelligence

Supervisory status

No

Federal service type

This job is in the Excepted Service

Represented by a union

No

Drug test

Yes

Security clearance

Top Secret

Position sensitivity and risk

Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.

Background check type

• National security

Financial disclosure required

Yes

Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.

Announcement number

1261803

Control number

883395600