Correctional Officer Grants
- Certain colleges and universities offer grant programs specifically for correctional officers. For instance, Peirce College in Philadelphia offers the Protect and Serve Grant for correctional officers and their children and spouses. As of July 2011, the program offers up to a 25 percent discount on tuition fees for enrollment in paralegal studies, business administration and information technology programs.
- The children and spouses of correctional officers who have died or suffered a disability on the job can often receive educational funding through programs offered by states and nonprofit organizations. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission, for example, offers the Grant Program for Dependents of Correctional Officers to the dependents of officers who were killed or disabled while serving for the Illinois Department of Corrections. The Illinois program helps recipients pay undergraduate and graduate tuition and school fees at Illinois postsecondary institutions.
The Association of State Correctional Administrators offers scholarships to the children of retired, employed and deceased corrections employees to attend two- and four-year postsecondary institutions. As of July 2011, the ASCA program offers undergraduate students up to $1,000 and graduate students up to $1,500. - Certain student aid programs offer funding for students pursuing public safety and law enforcement careers. The Law Enforcement Education Program organization, for instance, offers scholarship to Michigan students pursuing careers in corrections, law enforcement, firefighting and emergency dispatch. The LEEP program extends eligibility to students attending vocational schools, community colleges and four-year colleges and universities and pays up to $1,000, as of July 2011.
- Certain law enforcement training schools offer scholarships for their students. The Chicago Police and Firefighter Training Academy, for example, offers two-year scholarships to cadets enrolled its four-year training program. The academy's four-year program consists of two years training during high school and two years of college-level training. To qualify, a candidate must have a minimum a 3.0 grade point average during their high school training period, with an attendance rate of 90 percent or higher.
- Certain educational grant programs only offer funding for minority law enforcement officers or students pursuing law enforcement careers. For instance, Women in Federal Law Enforcement offers scholarships to its associate and regular members. The WIFLE scholarship offers $1,500 per school year, as of July 2011, for up to two years. The program also allows WIFLE members to sponsor non-members for scholarship awards.
