OPM plans to give CyberCorps members more time to find jobs after shutdown ends

The Office of Personnel Management plans to collaborate on a “mass deferment” for a cyber scholarship-for-service program after the government shutdown ends, a spokesman said Monday, as scholarship recipients have sounded fears about being on the hook for their schooling costs during federal hiring freezes and budget cuts.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) leads and manages the CyberCorps: Scholarship-For-Service (SFS) program, in coordination with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Department of Homeland Security. Participants in the program must get an internship with the government, then serve in a government position within 18 months of graduation. Those who cannot meet the terms must repay the government in the form of loans.

“After the shutdown ends, OPM will collaborate with NSF on a mass deferment to give graduates more time to secure qualifying positions and further guidance to encourage agencies to make use of the SFS program for their hiring needs,” the OPM spokesperson, McLaurine Pinover, told CyberScoop.

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