On 2026-10-08 the course is listed in 15 locations plus a remote 'National' option with class schedules per campus; the Denver ActivateWork variant shows no open classes. source
Per Scholas is a tuition-free, full-time 15-week cyber course run by a nonprofit in 15 US metros and remotely, ending in Security+ and Splunk exams at no cost. It suits people who can give up 35 hours a week for four months and meet the eligibility screen. Before applying, ask the local campus for its own cyber placement numbers, since the national site only publishes aggregates.
The facts
| Category | Cybersecurity, Cloud and DevOps, Software engineering, Data engineering and analytics |
|---|---|
| Website | perscholas.org/courses/cybersecurity-with-ai-tools |
| Based | New York, NY (campuses in 25 metros) |
| Format | in-person, online-live |
| Programs | Cybersecurity with AI Tools (15 weeks, full-time), IT Support, AI Native Software Development, Data Center Technician, Career Accelerator alumni upskilling |
| Length | 15 weeks (Full-time, 35 hours per week, weekdays; 20 hours of free Tech Prep work required before class.) verified |
| Tuition | $0 No cost to the learner; nonprofit funded by donors and employers. verified |
| Financing | free Tuition-free. Full-time learners can apply for a 0% interest Ascent loan for living expenses during the course. Learners must meet Per Scholas minimum eligibility requirements (eligibility page not fetched this pass). |
| Admission | basic assessment Eligibility screen and admissions process; 20 hours of pre-work; full-time weekday attendance required. |
| Stack | CompTIA Security+, Splunk Core Certified User, Google AI Professional, networking, Linux, security monitoring and investigation |
| Hiring partners (claimed) | TEKsystems (course partner) claimed |
Outcomes
Placement: Placement rate not published as a percentage; site reports 85% graduation rate and 230+ employers with 5 or more hires (organization-wide). Median salary: $54k average annual salary and 2.5x average wage increase (organization-wide, all courses). reported source
Interview-prep depth
1 / 5
Site describes professional development and coaching without module detail.
Job support: structured. Professional development is built into the course; Course Report cites career coaching for up to two years after graduation; no technical interview hours stated.
Whatever the program covers, the interview itself is free to prepare for here: coding patterns, system design, practice prompts, company guides.
What a careful reader should know
Per Scholas does not publish a job placement percentage; the $54k salary and 2.5x wage figures are organization-wide, not cyber-specific. Full-time weekday format excludes people who must keep a day job. Course rebranded in 2026 as 'Cybersecurity with AI Tools' with Google AI Professional added to Security+ and Splunk. NetApp announced grant funding for Per Scholas cyber training in September 2026.
Sources (4)
This directory takes no lead fees or placement payments from any program. Where a program runs an affiliate scheme we say so on its page and mark the link. Facts carry a badge: verified means we read it on a primary source on the date shown, reported means a third party said it, unknown means nobody we trust has published it.
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