CyberCorps internships cut
CISA cancelled CyberCorps internships amid the shutdown, removing a federal pipeline for cybersecurity trainees and raising concerns about future talent availability. The move was reported as another setback for students who rely on government internships to enter public‑sector cyber roles. (federalnewsnetwork.com)
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency canceled its 2026 CyberCorps summer internships, dropping up to 100 planned slots for scholarship students. (federalnewsnetwork.com) Federal News Network reported on April 14 that the agency blamed the record-long Department of Homeland Security shutdown and said it would not host CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service interns for the second straight year. (federalnewsnetwork.com) The CyberCorps program pays tuition and a stipend for cybersecurity students who agree to work in government after graduation. The Office of Personnel Management says the program is meant to recruit information technology and industrial control system security workers for federal, state, local and tribal agencies. (opm.gov) Cybersecurity work is the business of defending computer networks the way a lock protects a building, and internships are often the first badge that gets students inside. The Office of Personnel Management says federal internships are a pathway into public service, training and later hiring. (opm.gov) CISA had publicly advertised 100 new summer CyberCorps roles for 2026 on its own website, calling them a direct path into national cybersecurity work. That page was still live when reports of the cancellation appeared on April 14 and April 15. (cisa.gov) Nextgov/FCW reported on April 15 that CISA had reversed course after students had already secured placements, based on emails obtained by the outlet. CyberScoop separately reported that CISA told participants the internships were canceled because of Department of Homeland Security funding issues. (nextgov.com) (cyberscoop.com) The internship cuts land after months of strain in the same pipeline. CyberScoop reported in November that some Scholarship for Service students had job or internship offers rescinded and could see grants converted into loans after 18 months if they could not land qualifying government work. (cyberscoop.com) Federal News Network reported last week that hiring problems were already pushing some CyberCorps graduates to consider private-sector jobs instead of federal service. That pressure hits a program the outlet said has fed early-career cyber talent into government for nearly 25 years. (federalnewsnetwork.com) The federal system still lists internships and early-career jobs across government, including technical roles on USAJOBS and the Office of Personnel Management’s early-careers portal. But CISA’s canceled cohort removes one of the clearest cyber-specific entry points at the agency that protects civilian federal networks and critical infrastructure. (usajobs.gov) (opm.gov)
