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For the fourth year in a row, a University of North Georgia (¾«¶«Ó°Òµ) student has received the Department of Defense (DOD) Cyber Scholarship.

Dating back to 2018-19, ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ students have won nine DOD Cyber Scholarships in a four-year span, including three each year in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Fewer than 150 students nationwide were awarded these scholarships for 2021-22. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ's recipient will receive funds for three years, including two years of graduate school, that cover tuition, fees and books. Recipients also receive a $25,000 stipend for a laptop and living expenses, and that increases to $30,000 annually in graduate school.

For ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ's recipient, the scholarship pays for internships each summer and guarantees a job with the DOD for three years upon graduation. The DOD Cyber Scholarship is "designed to encourage the recruitment of the nation's top cyber talent and the retention of DOD personnel who have skills necessary to meet DOD's cyber requirements and help secure our nation against threats of information systems and networks," according to the DOD website.

This year's scholarship winner has been an active part of the past two NSA Codebreaker Challenge championship teams from ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ. And we're proud to have her going to work at DOD after graduation.

Dr. Bryson Payne

Professor of computer science and coordinator of student cyber programs

Because of the  (NSA) security requirements, the recipients' names are not released. Payne was allowed to release general facts about the scholar.

She is a senior pursuing degrees in computer science and cybersecurity and is part of the Cyber Leadership Scholars Program. The recipient also serves as a mentor to middle school and high school girls, as well as to her younger ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ peers. She has received the Zell Miller Scholarship, Herbert Robertson Scholarship and the ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ Merit Scholarship.

The recipient expressed gratitude to Payne for encouraging her to apply and the DOD for giving her this opportunity.

"It's great knowing there is someone out there believing in you, cheering you on, and supporting you," she said.

Recognized by the NSA and , ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.

Applications are open for the 2022-23 DOD Cyber Scholarship, and student submissions are due by Feb. 1, 2022. For more information on how to apply, contact Payne at bryson.payne@ung.edu or visit ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ's DOD Cyber Scholarship page.