Financing a law enforcement education – or continuing your education while working in the field – is more achievable than most people realize. Scholarships specifically designed for police officers, aspiring officers, and criminal justice students exist at every level: federal programs tied to the COPS Office, national awards from organizations like the National Association of Police Organizations and the Fraternal Order of Police, and state and local programs through POST councils, sheriffs’ associations, and law enforcement foundations.
This guide covers the full landscape: who offers what, how much, and how to find the programs most relevant to where you are in your career. Whether you’re a recruit heading to the academy, a working officer pursuing a degree, or a student on the path to a law enforcement career, there are funding sources designed specifically for you.
Why Law Enforcement Scholarships Are Different
Most scholarship search tools pull from a general pool of awards – general merit scholarships, major-specific scholarships for broad fields like “criminal justice,” and large directory databases where law enforcement is one category among hundreds. That approach works, but it leaves a significant portion of LE-specific funding invisible.
The scholarships covered in this guide are different in two key ways. First, many are limited to people employed in law enforcement or actively pursuing a sworn officer career – not simply anyone studying criminal justice. Second, a meaningful portion come from professional organizations and foundations within the law enforcement community itself, meaning the selection process is run by people who understand what the career looks like and what professional development means in this context.
The practical consequence: competition is often lower. A scholarship offered through a state law enforcement association or a regional FOP lodge draws from a much smaller pool than a national award open to any college student. Applicants who skip state and local programs in favor of high-profile national awards are leaving money on the table.
Federal and National Programs
Federal funding for law enforcement education operates through several channels, primarily the Department of Justice and its component agencies. These programs are worth understanding even if you don’t qualify directly – some flow through employing agencies rather than individuals, meaning your department may be able to access support on your behalf.
COPS Office — Community Oriented Policing Services
The COPS Office (cops.usdoj.gov) administers several grant programs that can support law enforcement education and training. While most COPS grants are agency-level awards – funding department hiring, training programs, and equipment – the office periodically funds initiatives that include tuition support or educational components at the officer level. Departments in rural areas and smaller jurisdictions tend to be the most active COPS grant recipients.
Officers at departments that receive COPS funding should ask their agency’s grants coordinator whether any active awards include education or professional development components.
Law Enforcement Education Program (LEEP) — Historical Context
The original federal Law Enforcement Education Program, funded through the 1968 Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, provided direct tuition assistance to working law enforcement officers for decades. LEEP was phased out in the 1980s, but its legacy survives in institutional structures – many state programs, university tuition discount arrangements, and professional association awards were modeled on LEEP’s framework. Several states have created successor programs at the state level.
Officers at departments that receive COPS funding should ask their agency’s grants coordinator whether any active awards include education or professional development components.
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Grant Programs
The Bureau of Justice Assistance funds training and education initiatives for law enforcement through a range of grants. BJA programs are generally awarded to agencies, universities, and training organizations — not directly to individuals — but they fund much of the professional development infrastructure that officers access at no cost. Grant opportunities are listed at bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
While not a scholarship, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is one of the most valuable financial tools available to law enforcement officers with federal student loans. Officers employed full-time by state, local, tribal, or federal agencies qualify as public service employees. After 120 qualifying monthly payments under an income-driven repayment plan, the remaining federal loan balance is forgiven – tax-free.
For officers who already have student debt, PSLF can be worth substantially more than a one-time scholarship. The federal student aid office maintains the PSLF application and employer certification process at studentaid.gov.
Law Enforcement Organization Scholarships
Professional organizations in the law enforcement community — unions, associations, and foundations — collectively offer some of the most accessible scholarship funding available to officers and their families. Awards typically target members, dependents of members, or students pursuing sworn officer careers. Application pools are smaller than national academic scholarships, and reviewers understand the professional context.
National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO)
NAPO, which represents over 240,000 sworn officers through affiliated unions and associations, offers scholarship awards for dependents of NAPO member officers. Awards are competitive, merit-based, and administered annually. Information on the current cycle, eligibility, and application materials is available at napo.org. If your department’s union or association is a NAPO affiliate, dependents may be eligible regardless of whether the individual officer is a direct NAPO member.
Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) — National and Lodge-Level Awards
The FOP operates scholarship programs at both the national and local lodge level. The National FOP Tuition Reimbursement Scholarship Program supports officers pursuing college degrees while employed — the award is specifically structured around continuing education for active officers, not pre-employment students. Many FOP lodges at the state and local level run independent scholarship programs with their own eligibility criteria and award amounts.
The national FOP scholarship page is at fop.net. For lodge-level programs, contact your regional or state FOP chapter directly — these awards are rarely listed in national scholarship databases.
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
NOBLE offers scholarship opportunities for students pursuing careers in criminal justice and law enforcement, with a focus on supporting diversity in the profession. Awards are administered through the NOBLE foundation and are open to students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
American Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice (AABCJ)
AABCJ provides scholarships for students pursuing criminal justice and law enforcement degrees, with particular emphasis on supporting Black students entering the profession. The association’s national conference is also a networking resource for students transitioning into law enforcement careers.
Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE) Foundation
The WIFLE Foundation (wiflefoundation.org/scholarships) offers scholarships for women pursuing careers in federal law enforcement and criminal justice. Awards are competitive and require an essay component. The WIFLE scholarship is one of the few programs specifically designed for women pursuing federal rather than state or local law enforcement positions.
National Sheriffs' Association
The National Sheriffs’ Association and its affiliated state organizations offer scholarship programs at both the national and state levels. Many county-level sheriffs’ associations also offer awards for students in their geographic area. These tend to be smaller awards with less competition than national programs — worth researching through your state’s sheriffs’ association directly.
Scholarships for Survivors of Fallen Officers
Several dedicated scholarship programs exist for children and spouses of law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty. These programs operate separately from general LE scholarships and typically have different eligibility criteria — they are worth highlighting specifically because many families who qualify are unaware they exist.
Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.)
C.O.P.S. (concernsofpolicesurvivors.org/scholarship) is the primary national organization supporting survivors of officers killed in the line of duty. Their scholarship program provides awards for children of fallen officers and for surviving spouses pursuing education. C.O.P.S. also provides access to peer support programs, camps for surviving children, and other services. Eligibility is limited to survivors of officers included on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund offers scholarship support through its affiliated programs for children of officers whose names appear on the national memorial. The fund also serves as a resource for connecting survivors with other available support programs at the state and local level.
Survivors of Law Enforcement Suicide (SOLES)
SOLES is a newer organization specifically supporting children and families of officers lost to suicide, a population that has historically been excluded from programs that limit eligibility to line-of-duty deaths. SOLES advocates for policy changes and provides scholarship and support resources for survivors.
State-Level Survivor Programs
Many states have their own programs for survivors of fallen officers, often administered through the state police officers’ association or a dedicated foundation. These can include tuition waivers at in-state public universities — a benefit that exceeds most scholarship awards in dollar value. Survivors should contact their state’s law enforcement association and the state’s public safety agency to identify all available programs.
Criminal Justice Degree Scholarships
Beyond programs tied specifically to law enforcement employment, a broader pool of scholarships targets students pursuing criminal justice and criminology degrees. For aspiring officers who are currently in school — or for officers returning to college — these awards represent an additional layer of funding that doesn’t require existing employment in the field.
The competitive landscape here is different from LE-specific awards. General criminal justice scholarship searches return a mix of university department awards, national CJ-focused foundations, and major-specific scholarship directories. The highest-value strategy is to pursue all three simultaneously, since they’re not mutually exclusive.
University Department Awards
Criminal justice and criminology departments at many universities offer department-specific scholarships that are only available to declared majors. These are frequently funded by alumni donations and administered directly by the department, meaning they don’t appear in external scholarship databases. Students should contact their department’s administrative office and faculty advisor to ask what awards are available internally. Department awards typically have smaller applicant pools than external scholarships of comparable value.
Criminal Justice Program-Specific National Awards
Several national organizations offer scholarships specifically for criminal justice and criminology students. The American Society of Criminology and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences both offer graduate-level awards. At the undergraduate level, several university-affiliated foundations offer scholarships to students at any accredited CJ program. Awards in this category are typically merit-based and require essays addressing criminal justice topics or career goals.
Scholarship Aggregator Sites for CJ Majors
General scholarship platforms — Scholarships.com, Bold.org, Unigo, and similar sites — all maintain criminal justice major categories with searchable award databases. These are worth using for breadth, but the awards listed are often highly competitive with national applicant pools. The most effective approach is to use these platforms to identify organizations and foundations you can then research independently, rather than applying exclusively through the aggregator interface.
Scholarships for Specific Populations
Several scholarship programs are structured around specific demographic groups within the law enforcement and criminal justice community. These represent some of the best opportunities for eligible applicants because the applicant pool is narrower and the awards are specifically designed to support people with the applicant’s background.
Women in Law Enforcement
The WIFLE Foundation is the most prominent national scholarship for women pursuing federal law enforcement careers. At the state and local level, women in policing organizations in many states offer additional awards. The National Center for Women and Policing and several regional women in policing associations maintain resource lists for available scholarships.
Veterans Pursuing Law Enforcement Careers
Military veterans transitioning into law enforcement have access to several dedicated resources. The GI Bill covers tuition and provides a monthly housing stipend for veterans enrolled in college, making it one of the highest-value education benefits available for those who qualify. Veterans also have access to Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) benefits if service-connected conditions affect their employability or educational access.
Beyond federal veterans’ benefits, several veterans’ service organizations offer scholarships for members pursuing second careers in public safety and law enforcement. The American Legion, VFW, and DAV all administer scholarship programs that veterans in LE programs may qualify for. These programs are based on military service rather than LE employment status, so they’re accessible to pre-employment students who served in the military.
Minority Candidates in Law Enforcement
NOBLE (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives) and AABCJ (American Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice) both offer scholarships for Black students in law enforcement and criminal justice programs. The Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association (HAPCOA) and the National Latino Peace Officers Association support Hispanic officers and students in the profession. The National Asian Peace Officers’ Association (NAPOA) similarly supports Asian American law enforcement professionals.
Students from underrepresented groups pursuing LE careers should research programs through all applicable professional associations, as many offer both scholarships and mentorship connections that can support the hiring process.
Officers With Disabilities
Officers who acquire disabilities in the line of duty and seek to continue their education have access to several dedicated resources. State workers’ compensation systems may cover retraining costs. The Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work program can provide vocational support. Several foundations focused on law enforcement disability support also offer scholarship awards — contacting your state’s law enforcement support foundation is the best starting point.
State-Level Resources
State-level scholarship programs for law enforcement are among the most underapplied funding sources in this space. Every state has a POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) commission, a state police officers’ association, and often a dedicated LE foundation — and many of these organizations run scholarship programs with competition limited to in-state applicants.
The practical advantage: a scholarship drawing from a single state’s applicant pool may have dozens of applicants rather than thousands. Award amounts vary widely, from a few hundred dollars to full-tuition awards at state universities, but even modest awards accumulate meaningfully when stacked with other sources.
Finding these programs requires direct outreach because they’re rarely indexed in national scholarship databases. The most reliable approach is to contact:
- Your state’s POST commission or training council — ask whether any scholarship or tuition assistance programs exist for officers or officer candidates
- Your state police officers’ association — most have a foundation arm that administers scholarship programs
- Your county or regional sheriffs’ association — many run independent scholarship programs for local students
- Your state’s FOP chapter — state lodge scholarship programs often differ from the national program
- Your employer’s HR or benefits office — even if the department doesn’t have its own program, they typically know what state-level resources exist
Department Tuition Benefits and Employer Programs
For officers already employed, employer-based tuition benefits are often the most valuable and most overlooked funding source. These programs don’t show up in scholarship search tools because they operate through employment agreements rather than competitive applications.
Department Tuition Reimbursement Programs
Many law enforcement agencies — particularly larger municipal departments, county sheriffs’ offices, and state agencies — offer tuition reimbursement as a benefit. The structure varies: some reimburse a fixed dollar amount per credit hour, others cover a percentage of tuition up to an annual cap, and some provide full tuition coverage for approved programs. Reimbursement is typically contingent on maintaining employment with the agency for a period following course completion.
The total value of these programs is significant. An officer who takes advantage of full tuition reimbursement for a four-year degree program at a public university can access $40,000–$80,000 in employer-funded education — far more than any competitive scholarship. The limitation is that these benefits are only available to currently employed officers, and the programs differ substantially by department.
Union-Negotiated Education Benefits
Collective bargaining agreements at many agencies include education benefits that go beyond what the department would offer independently. Officers covered by FOP, NAPO affiliate, or other union contracts should review their contract’s education provisions and consult with their union representative to understand what benefits are available and whether they can be stacked with other funding sources.
Federal Agency Education Programs
Federal law enforcement agencies – the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Secret Service, and others – have their own education and professional development programs for employees. These vary by agency but may include tuition assistance, reimbursement for advanced degrees in relevant fields, and access to educational programs at federal training facilities. Officers considering federal careers should research the education benefits at specific agencies during the application process.
How to Apply: Tips and Timeline
Scholarship applications for law enforcement and criminal justice awards follow patterns similar to other competitive scholarships, with some field-specific considerations worth noting.
Start Earlier Than You Think You Need To
Many LE-specific scholarships have application deadlines in late fall or early winter for awards disbursed the following academic year. Students who start their search in the spring or summer are already behind the cycle for many programs. A reasonable approach is to identify target programs in September, prepare application materials in October through December, and have submissions in by January. Programs with spring deadlines extend the window, but high-priority awards often close earlier.
Tailor Your Essays to the Law Enforcement Context
Scholarship essays for LE-specific awards are evaluated by people in the profession. Generic essays about “wanting to help people” or “pursuing justice” don’t distinguish applicants. Essays that demonstrate specific knowledge of policing — community policing philosophy, the officer selection process, what training involves, why a particular specialty appeals to you — signal to reviewers that the applicant is serious and prepared. If you’ve completed steps in the hiring process, referencing that concretely (oral board, physical fitness test, background investigation) demonstrates real commitment.
Request Letters of Recommendation Early
Many law enforcement scholarship programs specifically request or prefer letters from supervisors, commanding officers, or law enforcement professionals rather than academic references. If you don’t yet have LE employment, a letter from a ride-along supervisor, a background investigator who knows your file, or a faculty advisor with LE experience carries more weight than a standard academic letter. Request these well in advance — ideally six to eight weeks before the deadline.
Keep Records and Reapply
Many scholarship programs allow or require annual reapplication. Applicants who are not selected in one cycle and reapply the following year with stronger materials or additional experience often have better outcomes. Keep copies of all submitted materials, note the feedback if any is provided, and treat the first application as practice.
Stack Multiple Sources
There is no rule against holding multiple scholarships simultaneously unless an individual award explicitly prohibits it (which is rare for LE-specific awards). The highest-value approach combines employer tuition reimbursement, applicable organization scholarships, state-level awards, and PSLF eligibility — these are not competing programs but complementary funding layers. Most applicants who find substantial scholarship support are using three or more sources simultaneously.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to be a police officer to get a law enforcement scholarship?
No. Many law enforcement scholarships are open to students actively pursuing a career as a police officer, not just those already employed. Others are available to criminal justice majors broadly. The eligibility criteria vary by program – some require current employment, others require enrollment in a relevant program, and some are available to anyone demonstrating intent to pursue an LE career.
Can police officers get scholarships to go back to school?
Yes, and working officers often have access to funding sources that pre-employment students don’t. FOP tuition reimbursement programs, department education benefits, and some state programs are specifically structured for officers pursuing degrees while employed. Working officers should start with their employer’s HR office and union representative before looking at external scholarship programs.
Are there scholarships specifically for children of police officers?
Yes. NAPO offers scholarships for dependents of member officers. Many state and local FOP lodges offer awards for children of members. For children of officers killed in the line of duty, Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) provides dedicated scholarship support. Some state LE associations also offer awards for officer dependents regardless of line-of-duty status.
What is the best scholarship for someone trying to become a police officer?
There’s no single best answer — the most accessible scholarship depends on your state, whether you have military service, what your demographic background is, and whether you’re pre-employment or already working in law enforcement. Generally speaking, state-level programs through your POST commission or state officers’ association tend to have the most favorable competition-to-award ratios for aspiring officers. PSLF is the highest long-term value tool for officers who already have federal student debt.
How do I find scholarships offered by my state's law enforcement association?
Search for your state’s name plus “police officers association scholarship” and “law enforcement association scholarship.” You can also use the state POST agency contacts as a starting point — POST staff can typically point you toward in-state scholarship resources even if the POST itself doesn’t administer them. Contact the state FOP chapter and the state sheriffs’ association directly as well.
Can I get a scholarship for a criminal justice degree if I already work in law enforcement?
Yes. Most criminal justice scholarship programs do not require applicants to be pre-employment. Working officers pursuing degrees are competitive applicants for these awards, particularly if their essays reflect practical field experience. Officers should also check whether their employer offers tuition reimbursement that can be stacked with external scholarships.