Central Intelligence Agency Undergraduate Scholarship Program: Requirements and Opportunities
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) offers the Undergraduate Scholarship Program, a financial needs-based initiative designed to provide undergraduate students with an unmatched experience. This program, also known as the Stokes Scholar Program, allows students to attend an accredited college or university full-time while gaining practical experience through summer work at the Agency.
Program Overview
The Undergraduate Scholarship Program is a financial needs-based initiative that offers undergraduate students an unmatched experience in a diverse and inclusive environment. As scholarship recipients, students work during summer breaks at the Agency, exposing them to real intelligence challenges while performing meaningful work related to their college major. For example, an IT major might be given increasingly complex projects involving sophisticated computer systems, while an engineering major might help produce 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 US policymakers. Even a human resources major could have the opportunity to develop and implement personnel policies and procedures.
Benefits of the Stokes Scholar Program
Stokes Scholars receive a comprehensive package of benefits, including:
- Scholarship Funding: Up to $18,000 per academic year for tuition, mandatory fees, and books. STEM majors may receive up to $25,000 per academic year.
- Competitive Year-Round Salary: Employment every summer provides a competitive salary.
- Agency-Wide Benefits: Access to a range of benefits offered to CIA employees.
- Official Work Tour Travel Expenses: Non-local scholars are eligible for coordination and payment of official work tour travel expenses.
- Full-Time Employment: Onboarding as a 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; work driven by one mission: to keep our Nation safe.
Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications
To be eligible for the Stokes Scholar Program, applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications:
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- Financial Need: 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.
- Continued Service Agreement: 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 Commitment: 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).
- Academic Performance: Maintain competitive GPA (minimum 3.0 on a 4.0 scale).
- Full-Time Student Status: Remain in full-time status as a student while in the program (min.
- Citizenship: Be a U.S. citizen.
- Security Clearance: Ability to meet CIA’s minimum requirements for joining, including U.S. citizenship and a background investigation.
Failure to comply with any of the requirements may affect continued participation in the program.
Desired Qualifications
In addition to the minimum qualifications, the CIA seeks candidates who possess the following 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.
Commitment to Continued Employment
Because CIA invests in scholarship recipients, accepting an offer means continued employment with the CIA 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 US government for their tuition. All positions require relocation to the Washington, DC area during summer work tours.
Application Process
The CIA is currently not accepting resumes/applications for the Summer 2026 Stokes Scholar Program. Due to the length of our security and medical processes, this application will be for the summer of the following year.
Required Submission Documentation
Applicants must submit the following documentation as part of their application:
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- Fully completed Stokes Scholarship application.
- Proof of citizenship (one of the following).
- Resume (include school projects, sports, extracurricular activities, hobbies etc.
- Names and ages of all family dependents and proof of gross annual household income.
Stokes Scholarship funding is not provided until after the start of your work tour and all updated documentation has been received.
Important Notice
Friends, family, individuals, or organizations may be interested to learn that you are an applicant for or an employee of the CIA. Their interest, however, may not be benign or in your best interest. You cannot control whom they would tell. We therefore ask you to exercise discretion and good judgment in disclosing your interest in a position with the Agency. We do not routinely answer questions about employment beyond the information on this Web site, and we do not routinely answer inquiries about the status of job applications.
To be considered suitable for Agency employment, applicants must generally not have used illegal drugs within the last twelve months.
Undergraduate Internship/Co-op Opportunities
The CIA also offers year-round internship programs that allow undergraduate students to work in several areas before they graduate. These paid opportunities span a range of studies, including, but not limited to:
- Finance
- Economics
- Foreign language
- Engineering
- Information technology
These undergraduate intern programs are available for full-time students pursing a relevant major of study (see the desired majors list for more details). During the program, students will complete at least one 12-week work tour before graduating.
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Schools with co-operative programs typically have specific requirements to receive co-op credit. So, we designed our co-op program at the CIA to help students meet those requirements. As part of our program, students work on an alternating semester basis for at least three semesters before they graduate. This can include a summer work session as well. Since our Agency does not work with an established list of co-op programs, students will need to work with their schools to receive academic credit.
Deadlines
Students have to go through our medical and security process. Interested in our internship or co-op programs? For most of these opportunities, please submit your expression of interest at least 6-12 months before your desired start date. If you are applying for the Directorate of Operations Internship or our Scholarship Programs, you will need to submit your expression of interest during the timetable listed on the program’s page.
Graduate Programs
The CIA's Graduate Studies Program is available to full-time students in accredited graduate or doctoral programs. As part of our program, students complete at least one 12-week tour before graduating. This program is an exciting opportunity for graduate students to gain real-world work experience. It is also an excellent opportunity for graduates to transition from academic life to a career in national service.
Deadlines
Students have to go through our medical and security process. Interested in our Graduate Studies Program? Please submit your expression of interest at least 6-12 months before your desired start date.
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