Information assurance scholarship available to officers

  • Published
  • By Erin Tindell
  • Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Officers have until Aug. 31 to apply for the Information Assurance Scholarship Program, a special developmental education program available for the 2011 academic year.

The program pays the full cost of tuition, select fees and required books for graduate degrees in subjects such as information assurance, cyber operations, computer science and software engineering.

The Department of Defense established the IASP to increase the number of qualified personnel entering the information assurance career field. This program was established to meet the nation's increasing dependence on information technology for warfighting and the security of its information infrastructure.

"As the Air Force continues to march forward into cyberspace, it is important to build cyber operators who are experts in protecting the DOD network and its associated critical information," said Maj. Courtney Anderson, Air Force Personnel Center chief of cyber operations officer force development.

Current DOD military members are eligible for graduate degrees through the retention program of the IASP. Students continue to receive their military pay throughout their course of study at a DOD school or partnering university.

According to Major Anderson, an information assurance or other information technology degree would not only benefit an Airman's career, but also support force development initiatives by the Air Force.

"Airmen educated in information assurance are among an undersized group who have that expertise, and the Air Force must produce more of them in order to sustain dominance in the cyberspace domain."

Additional information on participating schools, entrance pre-requisites, requirements, eligibility and specific degrees is available at http://cio-nii.defense.gov/sites/iasp2/.

For more information call the Total Force Service Center at DSN 665-5000 or commercial (800) 525-0102.