Sponsors (2)
The bill builds a DoD-linked, standardized cybersecurity education pathway that improves hiring signals and university partnerships but trades off broad accessibility, may shift costs to institutions, and risks duplicating civilian efforts.
Employers (federal and nonfederal) can rely on clearer, shared cybersecurity workforce standards and vetted educational materials, making it easier to identify and hire candidates with verified cyber skills.
Students at participating institutions receive standardized cybersecurity curricula and competency frameworks across schools, improving job readiness for cyber roles.
Participating universities can strengthen DoD research partnerships and attract funding, expanding research opportunities and career pathways for graduates.
Students at many colleges and the institutions themselves are excluded because eligibility is limited to DoD-sponsored research partners and senior military colleges, denying broad access to the program.
Participating schools and students may bear costs because the program can be developed without new dedicated federal funding, which could limit implementation or shift expenses to institutions.
Federal agencies and institutions risk duplicated or overlapping efforts because a DoD-led program could overlap existing civilian cybersecurity education and workforce initiatives unless coordination is effective.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs DoD to create a collaborative cybersecurity education program with academic institutions to set standards, designate qualifying schools, consult agencies, and report annually.
Official title: To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a program for the development of cybersecurity education at academic institutions, and for other purposes.
Introduced December 11, 2025 by Sarah Elfreth · Last progress December 11, 2025
Requires the Department of Defense to create a collaborative cybersecurity education program with qualifying academic institutions to develop curriculum standards, shared competencies, outreach, best practices, and solutions to cyber-education challenges. The program must consult relevant federal agencies, designate qualifying institutions in cyber defense/operations/research, develop performance metrics, and provide annual reports to Congress; it does not authorize new funding or override other agencies' authorities.