UMSA

United in security leadership

UMSA Scholarship Program

UMSA launched its scholarship program in support of our continued efforts in interdisciplinary collaboration and education. Just as we are committed to supporting organizations and professionals in security and risk-related industries, so are we committed to providing support in education. Through this scholarship program, we aim to provide financial assistance as a way to build the leaders of our future and sustain our industries.

This program offers four (4) $3,000 scholarships and eight (8) $1,000 scholarships for undergraduate, graduate or continuing education programs in the any of the following fields (applicants can apply in more than one field):

  • Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
  • Cybersecurity
  • Governance, Risk and Compliance
  • Physical Security

The recipients of the 2018 UMSA scholarships will be notified in April 2018 and invited to receive recognition during the May 2018 Secure360 Twin Cities Conference at which time they will receive their scholarship dollars. Recipients may also be recognized at additional Secure360 events during 2018 as schedules permit.

Important dates:

November 1, 2017: Online applications open

March 5, 2018: Deadline to submit applications

April 2018: Winners announced

Eligibility

Applicants must be a member of an UMSA member organization or partner, or the spouse/partner/child of a member in an UMSA member organization (or partner) in good standing. If the applicant is not associated with an UMSA member or partner, s/he can request a member of an UMSA organization/partner to sponsor her/his application. Current UMSA board members and members of the UMSA scholarship committee are not eligible to apply. UMSA and/or Secure360 volunteers outside of the board and/or scholarship committee are eligible to apply.

See our current list of member organization and partners on the right. If you do not see an member or partner listed, please contact us for a full list and/or for us to check if the organization in question is one that would be eligible for scholarship support/sponsorship.

Current UMSA member organizations and partners include:

  • ASIS
  • BCPA
  • ISACA
  • ISSA
  • InfraGard
  • ISC2
  • MN State IT Center of Excellence
  • OWASP

Selection Criteria

Scholarships will be selected for award based on the following criteria:

  • Applicant’s ability to align with UMSA’s goals, mission and vision
  • Quality of writing/essay response
  • Personal goals and/or program of study relevant to at least one or more of the four fields mentioned above
  • Financial need
  • Phone interview

Deadlines

All applications must be received online: www.umsa-security.org. Online application forms will be available on November 1, 2017. Deadline to submit applications is March 5, 2018. Upon initial review, the UMSA scholarship committee will invite finalists to a phone interview during the month of March.

Winner Announcements and Awards

The recipients of the 2018 UMSA scholarships will be notified in April 2018 and invited to receive recognition during the May 2018 Secure360 Twin Cities Conference at which time they will receive their scholarship dollars. Recipients may also be recognized at additional Secure360 events during 2018 as schedules permit.

Questions?

Contact Marie Strawser, UMSA managing director: director@umsa-security.org