CIA Undergraduate Scholarship Program

Scholarship Sponsored by Central Intelligence Agency

The Undergraduate Scholarship Program is a financial needs-based initiative that offers undergraduate students an unmatched experience in a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. Undergraduate students, serving as scholarship recipients with CIA, attend an accredited college/university on a full-time basis and work during summer breaks at the Agency. While working at CIA, you will be exposed to real intelligence challenges while performing meaningful work that relates to your college major. An IT major, for example, might be given increasingly complex projects involving sophisticated computer systems. An engineering major might help produce a piece of state-of-the-art equipment. A finance major could be involved in developing and analyzing budgets for a worldwide operation, while a foreign language major might be instrumental in translating documents for U.S. policymakers. An international relations major might brief a senior policymaker and, as a final example, a human resources major could have the 
opportunity to develop and implement personnel policies and procedures.

Because CIA invests in scholarship recipients, accepting an offer means continued employment with the Agency for a specified timeframe. You are required to work at the Agency after college graduation for a period equal to 1.5 times the length of the college sponsorship you received from CIA. Students who leave earlier are required to reimburse the U.S. Government for their tuition. All positions require relocation to the Washington, DC area during summer work tours.

What You’ll Get

Stokes Scholars will receive:

• Agency-wide benefits
• Scholarship funding up to $18,000 per academic year for tuition, mandatory fees, and books; STEM majors receive scholarship funding up to $25,000 per academic year
• Competitive year-round salary
• Employment every summer
• Non-local scholars are eligible for coordination and payment of official work tour travel expenses
• Onboard as full-time officer after graduation

As a CIA employee, you’ll also get the satisfaction of knowing your work is part of something bigger than yourself. Our work is driven by one mission: to keep our Nation safe. Every day is an opportunity to enhance U.S. national security.

Learn more about working at CIA

Minimum Qualifications

Stokes Scholars must:

• Exhibit financial need as demonstrated by the adjusted gross annual household income (AGI) ceiling up to $120,000; if the scholar has not been listed as a dependent for the previous tax year, the AGI ceiling is up to $50,000
• Accept Stokes scholarship funds and sign a Continued Service Agreement that obligates you to work at the CIA 1.5 years for every year that you are in the Stokes Scholarship Program
• Work a full-time schedule (40 hours/week) for a minimum of 12 weeks each summer in the WMA until graduation and onboard as full-time officer (there is no break in service post-graduation; non-local scholars receive relocation entitlements)
• Maintain competitive GPA (minimum 3.0 on a 4.0 scale)
• Remain in full-time status as a student while in the program (min. 12 credit hours for undergraduate programs and 9 credit hours for graduate programs)
• Continue to major in the degree that aligns with the occupation for which you were admitted into the program
• Provide transcripts within 30 days of each semester completion
• Maintain a high standard of work performance, attendance, and conduct at both school and work
• Ability to meet the minimum requirements for joining CIA, including U.S. citizenship and a background investigation

Note: Failure to comply with any of the requirements may affect continued participation in the program.

Desired Qualifications

• Academic excellence in core subjects relating to college major or desired major
• Relevant practical or job experience in your field of interest
• Demonstrated leadership qualities
• Genuine interest in contributing to CIA’s mission
• Proficiency in a foreign language. Languages of interest are listed on our Foreign Language page.

Required Submission Documentation

• Fully completed Stokes Scholarship application
• Proof of citizenship (one of the following):
  • Passport
  • Birth Certificate
  • Naturalization Certificate
• Resume (include school projects, sports, extracurricular activities, hobbies etc. if no work experience)
• Copy of 1040 tax form from previous tax year (no foreign tax forms accepted):
  • If you were claimed as a dependent on your parent's/guardian's previous tax year returns, the form must show the filer's adjusted gross income and explicitly show your name as a dependent
  • If you were not claimed as a dependent for the previous tax year, the form must show your household's adjusted gross income
• Current high school seniors:
  • Copy of current unofficial transcript
  • Acceptance letter from the four-year university that you plan to attend
• Current Undergraduate or Graduate students:
  • Copy of current unofficial transcript