10 U.S.C. § 2200: Programs; purpose

To encourage the recruitment and retention of Department of Defense personnel who have the computer and network security skills necessary to meet the cyber requirements of the Department of Defense, the Secretary of Defense may carry out programs in accordance with this chapter to provide financial support for education in disciplines relevant to those requirements at institutions of higher education. Scholarships for pursuit of programs of education in cyber disciplines at institutions of higher education. Grants to institutions of higher education. The programs authorized under this chapter shall be known as the “Cyber Scholarship Program”. The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the heads of the elements of the intelligence community, and the Director of the Office of Personnel and Management, shall establish a program to provide financial support for pursuit of programs of education at institutions of high education in covered disciplines. Computer-related arts and sciences. Cyber-related engineering. Cyber-related law and policy. Applied analytics related sciences, data management, and digital engineering, including artificial intelligence and machine learning. Such other disciplines relating to cyber, cybersecurity, digital technology, or supporting functions as the Secretary of Defense considers appropriate. The program established under paragraph (1) shall be known as the ‘Department of Defense Cyber Service Academy’ (in this section referred to as the ‘Program’). provide scholarships through institutions of higher education to students who are enrolled in programs of education at such institutions leading to degrees or specialized program certifications in covered disciplines; and prioritize the placement of scholarship recipients fulfilling the post-award employment obligation under this section. to pay all educational expenses incurred by that person, including tuition, fees, cost of books, and laboratory expenses, for the pursuit of the program of education for which the assistance is provided under the Program; and to provide a stipend for room and board. The Secretary shall ensure that expenses paid are limited to those educational expenses normally incurred by students at the institution of higher education involved. The financial assistance for a person under this section may also be provided to support internship activities of the person in the Department of Defense and combat support agencies in periods between the academic years leading to the degree or specialized program certification for which assistance is provided the person under the Program. Each scholarship under the Program shall be for not more than 5 years. Students demonstrating financial need, as determined by the Secretary, may be provided with an additional stipend under the Program. The Secretary of Defense shall award not fewer than 1,000 scholarships under the Program in fiscal year 2026 and in each fiscal year thereafter. The Secretary of Defense may award fewer than the number of scholarships required under subparagraph (A) in a fiscal year if the Secretary determines and notifies the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives] that fewer scholarships are necessary to address workforce needs. Each scholarship recipient, as a condition of receiving a scholarship under the Program, shall enter into an agreement under which the recipient agrees to work for a period equal to the length of the scholarship, following receipt of the student’s degree or specialized program certification, in the cyber- and digital technology-related missions of the Department or an element of the intelligence community, in accordance with the terms and conditions specified by the head concerned in regulations the head concerned shall promulgate to carry out this subsection. In carrying out this section, specifically with respect to enforcing the obligations and conditions of employment under subsection (d), the head concerned may use any authority otherwise available to the head concerned for the recruitment, employment, and retention of civilian personnel within the Department, including authority under section 1599f of title 10 , United States Code, or within an element of the intelligence community, as the case may be. be a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States; demonstrate a commitment to a career in improving the security of information technology or advancing the development and application of digital technology; have demonstrated a high level of competency in relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities, as defined by the national cybersecurity awareness and education program under section 303 of the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014 ( 15 U.S.C. 7443 ); be a full-time student, or have been accepted as a full-time student, in a program leading to a degree or specialized program certification in a covered discipline at an institution of higher education; enter into an agreement accepting and acknowledging the post award employment obligations, pursuant to section (d); accept and acknowledge the conditions of support under section (g); and meet such other requirements for a scholarship as determined appropriate by the Secretary. As a condition of receiving a scholarship under this section, a recipient shall agree to provide the Office of Personnel Management (in coordination with the Department of Defense) and the institutions of higher education described in subsection (a)(1) with annual verifiable documentation of post-award employment and up-to-date contact information. fails to maintain an acceptable level of academic standing at the applicable institution of higher education, as determined by the Secretary; is dismissed from the applicable institution of higher education for disciplinary reasons; withdraws from the eligible degree program before completing the Program; declares that the individual does not intend to fulfill the post-award employment obligation under this section; fails to maintain or fulfill any of the post-graduation or post-award obligations or requirements of the individual; or fails to fulfill the requirements of paragraph (1). enter into an agreement with the head concerned to monitor the compliance of scholarship recipients with respect to their post-award employment obligations; and provide to the head concerned and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, on an annual basis, the post-award employment documentation required under subsection (g)(1) for scholarship recipients through the completion of their post-award employment obligations. If a circumstance described in subsection (g)(2) occurs before the completion of 1 year of a post-award employment obligation under the Program, the total amount of scholarship awards received by the individual under the Program shall be considered a debt to the Government and repaid in its entirety. If a circumstance described in subparagraph (D) or (E) of subsection (g)(2) occurs after the completion of 1 or more years of a post-award employment obligation under the Program, the total amount of scholarship awards received by the individual under the Program, reduced by the ratio of the number of years of service completed divided by the number of years of service required, shall be considered a debt to the Government and repaid in accordance with subsection (j). A debt described subsection (i) shall be subject to repayment, together with interest thereon accruing from the date of the scholarship award, in accordance with terms and conditions specified by the head concerned in regulations promulgated to carry out this subsection. determine the repayment amounts and notify the recipient, the head concerned, and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management of the amounts owed; and collect the repayment amounts within a period of time as determined by the head concerned. Except as provided in paragraph (3), any repayment under this subsection shall be returned to the Treasury of the United States. An institution of higher education may retain a percentage of any repayment the institution collects under this subsection to defray administrative costs associated with the collection. The head concerned shall establish a single, fixed percentage that will apply to all eligible entities. placement rates; where students are placed, including job titles and descriptions; salary ranges for students not released from obligations under this section; how long after graduation students are placed; how long students stay in the positions they enter upon graduation; how many students are released from obligations; and what, if any, remedial training is required. the results of the evaluation under paragraph (1); the disparity in any reporting between scholarship recipients and their respective institutions of higher education; and any recent statistics regarding the size, composition, and educational requirements of the relevant Department of Defense workforce. searchable, up-to-date, and accurate information about participating institutions of higher education and job opportunities relating to covered disciplines; and a modernized description of careers in covered disciplines. Not less than 50 percent of the amount available for financial assistance under this section for a fiscal year shall be available only for providing financial assistance for the pursuit of programs of education referred to in subsection (b)(1) at institutions of higher education that have established, improved, or are administering programs of education in disciplines under the grant program established in section 2200b of title 10 , United States Code, as determined by the Secretary. Not less than five percent of the amount available for financial assistance under this section for a fiscal year shall be available for providing financial assistance for the pursuit of an associate degree at an institution described in paragraph (1). In order to help identify workforce needs and trends relevant to the Program, the Secretary may establish a board of directors for the Program that consists of representatives of Federal departments and agencies. The Secretary shall commence the Program as early as practicable, with the first scholarships awarded under the Program for the academic year beginning no later than the fall semester of 2024. In carrying out this section, the Secretary of Defense shall act through the Director of the office established under section 2192c of title 10 , United States Code. the Secretary of Defense has entered into an agreement with the head of that element authorizing the placement of scholarship recipients under the Program in positions within that element; under such agreement, the head of that element has agreed to reimburse the Department of Defense for the scholarship program costs associated with any scholarship recipient so placed; and the scholarship recipient has satisfied appropriate hiring criteria and security clearance requirements applicable to that element. Not more than 10 percent of each graduating class of scholarship recipients under the Program may be placed in positions not within the Department of Defense unless the Secretary of Defense submits to the congressional defense committees a certification that the Department of Defense is unable to facilitate placements in positions within the Department of Defense for such excess percentage. The [sic] Secretary of Defense, with respect to matters concerning the Department of Defense; or the head of an element of the intelligence community, with respect to matters concerning that element. The term ‘intelligence community’ has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3003 ).” The Secretary of Defense may carry out a program to establish a Cyber Institute at institutions of higher learning selected under subsection (b) for purposes of accelerating and focusing the development of foundational expertise in critical cyber operational skills for future military and civilian leaders of the Armed Forces and the Department of Defense, including such leaders of the reserve components. The Secretary of Defense shall select institutions of higher learning for purposes of the program established under subsection (a) from among institutions of higher learning that have a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. In selecting institutions of higher learning under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider the senior military colleges with Reserve Officers’ Training Corps programs. Programs to provide future military and civilian leaders of the Armed Forces or the Department of Defense who possess cyber operational expertise from beginning through advanced skill levels. Such programs shall include instruction and practical experiences that lead to recognized certifications and degrees in the cyber field. are designed to significantly enhance critical cyber operational capabilities; and are tailored to current and anticipated readiness requirements. Programs related to mathematical foundations of cryptography and courses in cryptographic theory and practice designed to complement and reinforce cyber education along with the strategic language programs critical to cyber operations. Programs related to data science and courses in data science theory and practice designed to complement and reinforce cyber education along with the strategic language programs critical to cyber operations. Programs designed to develop early interest and cyber talent through summer programs, dual enrollment opportunities for cyber, strategic language, data science, and cryptography related courses. Training and education programs to expand the pool of qualified cyber instructors necessary to support cyber education in regional school systems. Any institute established under the program authorized by subsection (a) may enter into a partnership with one or more components of the Armed Forces, active or reserve, or any agency of the Department of Defense to facilitate the development of critical cyber skills for students who may pursue a military career. Any institute established under the program authorized by subsection (a) may enter into a partnership with one or more local educational agencies to facilitate the development of critical cyber skills. The term ‘senior military colleges’ has the meaning given such term in section 2111a(f) of title 10 , United States Code. Not later than September 30, 2021 , the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the effectiveness of the Cyber Institutes and on opportunities to expand the Cyber Institutes to additional select institutions of higher learning that have a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. In carrying out this section, the Secretary of Defense shall act through the Director of the office established under section 2192c of title 10 , United States Code.”