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| SteelGate LLC gives $25,000 to USCA for new cyber scholarship |
USCA will offer the new SteelGate Cyber Scholarship to degree-seeking students who are majoring in computer science and have a 3.0 GPA or higher. As part of its computer science degree, USCA offers concentrations in cybersecurity and data science.
“The need for IT, cyber, and computer science professionals is expected to continue to grow at a rate much faster than the national average, 15 to 30%, well past 2030,” said USCA Dean of Sciences and Engineering Dr. Scott McKay. “USCA continues to make it one of its highest priorities to work with cybersecurity firms and organizations to meet the ever-increasing need for graduates ready to combat the nation and world’s cyber threats. We are grateful for SteelGate’s investment in, and partnership with, USCA.”
McKay said the university plans to award 25 scholarships of $1,000 each to create a local pipeline of students entering the cybersecurity workforce. McKay said USCA will primarily target local high schools to promote and award the scholarship.
In addition to establishing a scholarship, SteelGate will work with USCA Career Services to offer internships to university students as part of the new partnership.
Established in 2019, SteelGate LLC is a certified service-disabled, veteran-owned small business that attracts and retains the most talented professionals to solve the most complex problems around cyber operations, distributed command and control, data science, and information operations. It currently supports clients in 18 countries and 12 states.
USCA is a significant partner located in the STEM and cyber capital of South Carolina. The university will soon be home to the $60 million U.S. Department of Energy/Savannah River National Laboratory’s Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative. In 2025, the South Carolina National Guard plans to break ground on a new $30 million Cyber Integration Center, which will serve as the new home for its Cyber Battalion. USCA is a National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.
Both facilities will provide USCA students with real-world opportunities to work on cybersecurity and computer science projects. The university has already opened a Regional Security Operations Center on campus to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities in monitoring and securing USCA’s network and those for local organizations, municipalities, and school districts.
About SteelGate LLC
SteelGate, LLC is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business serving the Department of Defense (DoD), federal civilian, and commercial customers. SteelGate LLC’s core capabilities are centered around architecture design and engineering of network, systems, and cybersecurity solutions, as well as service delivery to include installation and sustainment of complex networks and systems.
For more information, contact Christen Engel - christen.engel@usca.edu