(Butler, PA) Butler County Community College expects to increase to at least $15,000 the amount in U.S. Department of Defense-funded financial awards to be allocated next fall to students enrolled in programs that emphasize cybersecurity education.
The college this spring distributed $11,000 in financial awards to students in its networking and cybersecurity associate degree program, or in related credit programs, and separately funded the $350 cost of students’ professional certification examinations through the use of a fall 2022 U.S. Department of Defense grant.
BC3 is a partner in a consortium led by Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The consortium is emphasizing cybersecurity education through a nearly $5 million National Defense Education Program grant announced in September.
Partner organizations were chosen based on factors that include vested interest in cybersecurity and expertise in managing previously federally funded grants, according to IUP.
The consortium is charged with increasing students’ completion rates in certification programs that strengthen the defense industrial base workforce, according to the U.S. Department of Defense, and the rates of students transferring to senior institutions.
Current or prospective students can view financial award and other information at bc3.edu/cybersecurity.
“A lot of the coursework we do is through hands-on lab simulations. These simulations help me understand a lot more than if we were to just listen to lectures in every class.”
Employers “love” certifications
Butler residents and BC3 networking and cybersecurity students Michael Hinchberger, 35, and Nathan McGowan, 20, qualified to receive a voucher to fund entirely an extra-curricular Computing Technology Industry Association certification examination.
“BC3 provided extra possibilities to improve my ability,” Hinchberger said.
Said McGowan: “I benefit the most from the COMPTIA certification exams that they are paying for us. The certification proves that you know what you are doing, and employers love to see it on a resume.
“Not only that, but they are not cheap, and it gives us a free shot at taking it with no repercussions.”
Hinchberger and McGowan were also among 13 BC3 students who received financial awards this spring that ranged from $600 to $1,000, according to Sherri Mack, dean of BC3’s business division.
Students enrolled in BC3’s four computer information systems career programs or in its computer science transfer program – all of which include instruction about cybersecurity – are eligible to apply for the financial awards, Mack said.
“The purpose of the grant is to encourage and help students to graduate with cybersecurity knowledge,” Mack said.
“We all know that tuition plays a big role in that. Can they afford to come to college? How many classes can they take? Is it one? Is it two? So utilizing the funds toward financial awards enables them to not have to worry about ‘How am I going to pay that bill?’”
His financial award, said Zachary Witty, a 28-year-old BC3 networking and cybersecurity student from Valencia, “will allow me to cut back on working over 40 hours a week while doing school full time.”
“It is a great program”
There are nearly 5 billion internet users worldwide, Forbes reported in February 2022, citing Statista.
The global cost of cybercrime is expected to increase from $8.44 trillion in 2022 to $23.84 trillion by 2027, Statista reported in December.
“No matter how much you know, it’s important to remain vigilant as most cybersecurity attacks happen because of mistakes made by users creating the opening hackers want,” Hinchberger said.
Thirteen students graduated with associate in applied science degrees in networking and cybersecurity in BC3’s Class of 2022, and 21 are enrolled this spring, according to Sharla Anke, the college’s assistant dean of institutional research and planning.
“A lot of the coursework we do is through hands-on lab simulations,” McGowan said. “These simulations help me understand a lot more than if we were to just listen to lectures in every class. Not only that, but we get the opportunity to take certification exams which can help us exponentially while applying for jobs.”
Said Dawson Pfabe, 20, of Butler, a BC3 networking and cybersecurity student who received a financial award: “It is a great program with great teachers who really help you understand the topics they’re teaching.”
Student-veteran among recipients
BC3 will also work to increase cybersecurity education in underserved and under-represented populations, and of veterans and their spouses as required by the grant, Mack said.
Victor Garrido, 43, of Butler, is a BC3 student-veteran who served in the Marine Corps and this spring received from BC3 a U.S. Department of Defense-funded financial award.
“BC3’s staff is always available to support me and answer questions about coursework, and the classes offered reflect the current technologies available in the workforce,” Garrido said.
The college, Garrido said, “does a wonderful job of understanding its students, whether they are 18 or 43. The entire staff is committed to the success of its students, and it shows in their effort to communicate and support everyone who walks through BC3’s doors.”
COMPTIA is an American nonprofit trade association that issues professional certifications for the information technology industry, according to its website.
BC3 has been allocated approximately $400,000 over three years from U.S. Department of Defense grant as a partner organization.
