The SWSIS program provides scholarships of $2,000 or more for women studying for their Bachelors and Masters degrees in fields relating to information security. The purpose of these scholarships is to provide assistance to women at the formative stages of their careers in these fields.
SWSIS is a program of the Applied Computer Security Associates (ACSA) . Its long-term goal is to contribute to increasing the representation of women in the information security workforce. ACSA founded the SWSIS scholarship program in 2011. The Computing Research Association Committee on Widening Participation (CRA-WP) led the selection process from 2014-2023. As of fall 2023, SWSIS scholarships have been awarded to 138 women studying information security.
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Scroll down for information on applications, eligibility, and sponsors. Email swsis@swsis.org with any question.
Applications
For the SWSIS Application, applicants must meet eligibility covered in the next section and provide:
- An essay describing her interest and background in the information security field.
- A current official or unofficial transcript.
- A resume or CV.
- Letters of reference (typically from faculty members).
- University name and class status.
Note:
- If the applicant is in her first semester at her current university, she should submit her class schedule and transcript(s) from prior universities. Official transcripts may be required for scholarship recipients, but not for application.
- The scholarship may be renewable for a second year if eligibility conditions are still met, given proof of satisfactory academic progress and availability of funds.
Eligibility
These are competitive awards selected based on an application process. The following criteria are required for consideration:
- Applicants must be women studying information security
- Scholarship recipients must be undergraduates in their junior or senior years, or in a masters’ program. Therefore, applicants should be expecting to be in that status in the upcoming academic year.
- Scholarships are only available to students enrolled in a US campus of a US university
- Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents
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