The National Cyber Scholarship Foundation launches the Alan Paller Honor Scholarship for 2022

Up to 500 students who earn the GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies (GFACT) certification at the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF) Cyber Foundations Academy in 2022 will win an Alan Paller Honor Scholarship and the status of Scholar with Honors. The value of the scholarship is $500.

NCSF programs and scholarships aim to empower America’s future Cyber Stars and identify talented high school and college students. While programs such as CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack focus on identifying aptitude and nurturing potential, this scholarship is focused on the Foundation’s third core value - empowering excellence.

The Alan Paller Honor Scholarship will reward exceptional students who have demonstrated consistent aptitude and ability through both the CyberStart programs and the Cyber Foundations Academy. These $500 financial scholarships will aim to support students with their future cybersecurity studies in whichever way is most useful to them.

As well as the financial award, the recipients will be given the status of NCSF Scholar with Honors.

In November 2021, NCSF Founder and Chair of the Board of Directors, Alan Paller, sadly passed away. Alan was a pioneer in the cybersecurity industry, championing the need for greater education and knowledge for practitioners. In honor of Alan’s monumental contribution to the industry and life-long drive to build the next generation of cybersecurity talent, these scholarships will be presented in his name.

To qualify for a scholarship, students must earn the GFACT certification as part of the SANS Foundations course provided through the Cyber Foundations Academy. Students must earn this certification by September 30, 2022. The top 500 GFACT scorers will be considered for the scholarships. Winners will be announced towards the end of 2022.