The National Security Agency (NSA) offers the STEM subset of the Stokes Educational Scholarship Program to high school seniors who plan to pursue a qualifying STEM degree in college. Selected participants may receive up to $30,000 per academic year toward tuition and mandatory educational fees while also earning an annual salary. Participants attend college full-time at an accredited institution within the United States and work at NSA for a minimum of 12 weeks each summer in assignments related to their field of study. After graduation, recipients are required to work at NSA for a period equal to one and one-half times the length of their scholarship support.
Scholarship Details
- Up to $30,000 per academic year toward tuition and mandatory educational fees
- Participants also earn an annual salary
- Students whose college is located more than 75 miles from NSA may be eligible for housing and travel benefits during summer employment
- Participants work at NSA for a minimum of 12 weeks each summer
- Qualifying degree fields include Artificial Intelligence, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Electrical Engineering, and Mathematics
Eligibility Criteria
- U.S. citizen
- High school senior
- Preferred GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
- SAT score of at least 1200, including a minimum of 600 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and 600 in Math, or an ACT score of at least 25
- Plan to pursue a qualifying STEM degree at an accredited college or university within the United States
- Demonstrate leadership abilities
Application Process
- Complete and submit the online application through the NSA Intelligence Careers website
- Gather all required supplemental documents, including:
- Resume
- Two letters of recommendation
- Official high school transcript
- SAT and/or ACT scores
- One-page essay addressing why you want a career at NSA
- Combine the required supplemental documents into one complete packet
- Email the supplemental document packet to NSA by the required deadline
- Follow all NSA requirements to maintain eligibility throughout college and fulfill the required employment commitment
Those accepted into the NSA Stokes Educational Scholarship Program must successfully complete the required NSA security and pre-employment processing. This process may include aptitude testing, a psychological interview, a security interview and polygraph examination, a personnel interview, and a background investigation. Participants who leave the program before fulfilling their service commitment may be required to repay tuition and mandatory educational fees received through the program. Applications are accepted nationwide from eligible high school seniors.
