Top Scholarships for Criminal Justice and Criminology Students

Aspir­ing law enforce­ment offi­cers, foren­sic sci­ence whizzes, and crim­i­nal jus­tice cham­pi­ons, assem­ble! Do you envi­sion your­self crack­ing codes, uphold­ing the law, or unrav­el­ing the secrets hid­den with­in a crime scene? A ful­fill­ing career in crim­i­nal jus­tice awaits, but the road to jus­tice can be paved with finan­cial hur­dles. Fear not, future heroes! This guide unlocks the key to schol­ar­ships specif­i­cal­ly designed for crim­i­nal jus­tice students.

Whether you’re a high school senior eye­ing col­leges with foren­sic sci­ence majors or a sea­soned pro­fes­sion­al seek­ing the fastest crim­i­nal jus­tice degree online, schol­ar­ships can be your entry to col­leges with foren­sic sci­ence majors and police offi­cer schools. We’ll unveil hid­den gems like schol­ar­ships for aspir­ing police offi­cers, grants to col­leges for crime scene inves­ti­ga­tors, and even finan­cial aid oppor­tu­ni­ties for your online foren­sic sci­ence degree.

Ready to chase your jus­tice dreams with­out break­ing the bank? Dive into this com­pre­hen­sive guide and dis­cov­er the per­fect schol­ar­ship to sup­port your aca­d­e­m­ic jour­ney. Remem­ber, jus­tice does­n’t wait – start unlock­ing your poten­tial today!

1. Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS)

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The Acad­e­my of Crim­i­nal Jus­tice Sci­ences (ACJS) offers 16 schol­ar­ships to sup­port your aca­d­e­m­ic journey.

What’s avail­able?

• Schol­ar­ships for ALL lev­els: under­grad­u­ate, grad­u­ate, and even law school!
• Vari­ety of awards: Find one that aligns with your spe­cif­ic goals and interests.
• Essay con­test oppor­tu­ni­ty: Show off your writ­ing skills and com­pete for addi­tion­al funding.

The AJS is a pres­ti­gious orga­ni­za­tion. With a schol­ar­ship, you gain recog­ni­tion from a lead­ing crim­i­nal jus­tice institution.

Don’t wait! Take advan­tage of this valu­able oppor­tu­ni­ty to advance your crim­i­nal jus­tice stud­ies. Apply for an ACJS schol­ar­ship today!

Award: varies

Dead­line: Oct 15

2. American Association of Law Libraries Scholarships

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Pur­sue a career as a Law Librar­i­an with AALL schol­ar­ships! The Amer­i­can Asso­ci­a­tion of Law Libraries (AALL) offers var­i­ous schol­ar­ships and fel­low­ships to sup­port your edu­ca­tion­al journey.

Degree Can­di­date Scholarships:

• Who: Indi­vid­u­als work­ing towards a law librar­i­an­ship career through var­i­ous paths (library/law school stu­dent, library school grad­u­ate seek­ing relat­ed degree).
• What: Schol­ar­ships to finan­cial­ly sup­port your degree program.
• Types: AALL Schol­ar­ship, Lex­is­Nex­is John R. John­son Memo­r­i­al Schol­ar­ship, cat­e­go­rized by your aca­d­e­m­ic stage and goals.

Con­tin­u­ing Edu­ca­tion Scholarship:

• Who: AALL mem­bers work­ing in gov­ern­ment law libraries seek­ing fund­ing for pro­fes­sion­al devel­op­ment programs.
• What: Mar­cia J. Koslov Schol­ar­ship to cov­er con­tin­u­ing edu­ca­tion expenses.

George A. Strait Minor­i­ty Schol­ar­ship & Fellowship:

• Who: U.S. law library aspi­rants from rec­og­nized minor­i­ty groups enrolled in accred­it­ed library or law school programs.
• What: Finan­cial sup­port and prac­ti­cal expe­ri­ence through schol­ar­ships or paid fel­low­ships in law libraries.
• Ben­e­fits: Stipend, men­tor­ship, AALL mem­ber­ship, con­fer­ence reg­is­tra­tion, net­work­ing opportunities.

Remem­ber:

• Explore all schol­ar­ship options that align with your pro­file and goals.
• Meet appli­ca­tion dead­lines to be considered.
• AALL mem­ber­ship can enhance your schol­ar­ship competitiveness.

Don’t miss out on these valu­able oppor­tu­ni­ties to launch your ful­fill­ing career in law librar­i­an­ship! Start your schol­ar­ship jour­ney today!

Dead­line: April 21

Award: Varies 

3. Alpha Phi Sigma: The National Criminal Justice Honor Society

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Call­ing all aspir­ing lawyers and crim­i­nal jus­tice pro­fes­sion­als! Alpha Phi Sig­ma, the nation’s lead­ing crim­i­nal jus­tice hon­or soci­ety, offers schol­ar­ships to sup­port your edu­ca­tion­al journey.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Who is eli­gi­ble? Under­grad­u­ate and grad­u­ate crim­i­nal jus­tice majors or stu­dents intend­ing to pur­sue a law or crim­i­nal jus­tice career.
• What’s avail­able? Sev­er­al schol­ar­ships worth around $2,000 each, plus addi­tion­al awards.
• Can I apply for mul­ti­ple? Absolute­ly! Max­i­mize your chances by apply­ing for all rel­e­vant scholarships.

Ready to apply? Vis­it the Alpha Phi Sig­ma web­site for com­plete details and appli­ca­tion mate­ri­als. Don’t miss this chance to invest in your future and join a com­mu­ni­ty ded­i­cat­ed to crim­i­nal jus­tice excellence!

Dead­line: Feb­ru­ary 11 

Award: $2000+

4. ASIS Foundation Scholarships 

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Spon­sor: ASIS International

Are you a secu­ri­ty pro­fes­sion­al or aspir­ing to enter the field? The ASIS Foun­da­tion offers schol­ar­ships to sup­port your aca­d­e­m­ic jour­ney! With ASIS schol­ar­ships, you can 

• Invest in your future: Enhance your qual­i­fi­ca­tions and career prospects in the secu­ri­ty field.
• Hon­or indus­try pio­neers: These schol­ar­ships pay trib­ute to dis­tin­guished secu­ri­ty professionals.

One appli­ca­tion unlocks mul­ti­ple oppor­tu­ni­ties. Once you com­plete the Aca­d­e­m­ic Schol­ar­ship appli­ca­tion, you’ll auto­mat­i­cal­ly be con­sid­ered for rel­e­vant awards:

• Abbati­co­la Fund Schol­ar­ship: Cen­tral New Jer­sey chap­ter mem­bers or their chil­dren pur­su­ing secu­ri­ty man­age­ment studies.
• Buck­ley Fund Schol­ar­ship: Mem­bers in North­ern Cal­i­for­nia and North­ern Neva­da chap­ters pur­su­ing secu­ri­ty man­age­ment studies.
• Man­ning Fund Schol­ar­ship: Boston or New Eng­land chap­ter mem­bers or their fam­i­ly mem­bers pur­su­ing secu­ri­ty man­age­ment studies.

Vis­it the ASIS Foun­da­tion web­site for details and eli­gi­bil­i­ty require­ments. Don’t miss this chance to gain valu­able finan­cial sup­port and recog­ni­tion for your ded­i­ca­tion to security!

Award: Varies

Dead­line: April

5. Brian Terry Foundation 

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Are you pas­sion­ate about mak­ing a pos­i­tive impact and pur­su­ing a career in law enforce­ment? The Bri­an Ter­ry Schol­ar­ship hon­ors indi­vid­u­als who exem­pli­fy the val­ues of jus­tice, per­se­ver­ance, and ser­vice, qual­i­ties embod­ied by the late Bor­der Patrol Agent Bri­an Terry.

• Com­mu­ni­ty Impact: They go beyond them­selves to serve oth­ers, mak­ing a real dif­fer­ence in their communities.
• Social Jus­tice Cham­pi­ons: They strive for pos­i­tive change, unit­ing oth­ers and advo­cat­ing for progress.
• Aca­d­e­m­ic Excel­lence: They are ded­i­cat­ed learn­ers, dri­ven by a thirst for knowl­edge and growth.

This unique schol­ar­ship offers:

• Finan­cial Sup­port: Cov­er tuition, books, and liv­ing expens­es to focus on your studies.
• Men­tor­ship Net­work: Con­nect with high-achiev­ing peers and expe­ri­enced law enforce­ment professionals.
• Lead­er­ship Devel­op­ment: Enhance your skills and knowl­edge through valu­able opportunities.

Don’t miss this oppor­tu­ni­ty to invest in your future and con­tribute to a more just and equi­table world. Apply for the Bri­an Ter­ry Schol­ar­ship today!

Award: Annu­al fund­ing for aca­d­e­m­ic expens­es, includ­ing tuition, books and liv­ing expenses.

Dead­line: May 31

6. CIA Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships

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Spon­sor: Cen­tral Intel­li­gence Agency

The CIA’s Under­grad­u­ate Schol­ar­ship Pro­gram offers finan­cial sup­port and real-world expe­ri­ence to stu­dents pas­sion­ate about con­tribut­ing to nation­al security.

Who qual­i­fies?

• US cit­i­zen, 18+ years old by Sep­tem­ber 15th.
• Finan­cial need demon­strat­ed by house­hold income.
• Accept­ed to a 4‑year col­lege or enrolled full-time (12+ credits).
• Min­i­mum 3.0 GPA and will­ing­ness to work at CIA after graduation.
• Meet CIA’s min­i­mum require­ments (e.g., back­ground investigation).

Ben­e­fits:

• Up to $25,000/year in tuition assis­tance (STEM fields).
• Sum­mer work tours at the CIA in Wash­ing­ton, DC.
• Com­pet­i­tive salary, health insur­ance, retire­ment plans, and more.
• Gain valu­able expe­ri­ence relat­ed to your major.
• Make a real dif­fer­ence in nation­al security.

Inter­est­ed? Check back in ear­ly 2024 for the Sum­mer 2025 appli­ca­tion open­ing. Learn more about the pro­gram and its impact on the CIA website.

Award: up to $25,000

Dead­line: TBA

7. Crimcheck: The Melissa Linville Criminal Justice Scholarship

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Call­ing all future crim­i­nal jus­tice pro­fes­sion­als and law school hope­fuls! The Crim­check Schol­ar­ship offers $500 to sup­port your edu­ca­tion­al jour­ney. Here’s what you need to know:

Who: High school seniors plan­ning to pur­sue a career in law enforce­ment or cur­rent law school students.

What: $500 schol­ar­ship based on an essay explain­ing your ded­i­ca­tion to law enforce­ment or law studies.

Eli­gi­bil­i­ty: 3.0 GPA or high­er, US citizen.

Win­ners will be noti­fied by August 15th.

The Crim­check schol­ar­ship hon­ors Melis­sa Linville’s pas­sion for pub­lic ser­vice and sup­ports crim­i­nal jus­tice education.

Bonus: This schol­ar­ship is also open to law school stu­dents seek­ing finan­cial aid, so apply even if you haven’t start­ed yet!

Award: $500

Dead­line: August 1

8. David L. Boren Scholarships — NSEP

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If you’re inter­est­ed in for­eign lan­guage and inter­na­tion­al rela­tions, The Nation­al Secu­ri­ty Edu­ca­tion Pro­gram (NSEP) offers Boren Schol­ar­ships to pas­sion­ate stu­dents like you.

What’s the deal?

• Schol­ar­ship amount: $20,000 to study crit­i­cal lan­guages and cul­tures in Africa, the Mid­dle East, Asia, Latin Amer­i­ca, or East­ern Europe.
• Who’s eli­gi­ble: Under­grad­u­ate and grad­u­ate stu­dents com­mit­ted to pub­lic ser­vice and for­eign lan­guage immersion.
• The catch: Com­mit to work­ing for the U.S. gov­ern­ment for one year after grad­u­a­tion (think nation­al secu­ri­ty, diplo­ma­cy, etc.).

This pro­gram is per­fect for you if:

• You’re pas­sion­ate about a spe­cif­ic lan­guage or culture.
• You dream of using your skills to make a glob­al impact.
• You’re open to an immer­sive study abroad experience.

Bonus: NSEP also offers Boren Fel­low­ships for grad­u­ate study and study in less com­mon­ly taught lan­guages. Explore their web­site to find the per­fect fit for your goals!

Invest in your future, serve your coun­try, and expe­ri­ence a life-chang­ing adven­ture. Apply for a Boren Schol­ar­ship today!

Award: $20,000-$24,000

Dead­line: February

9. National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)

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The Nation­al Orga­ni­za­tion of Black Law Enforce­ment Exec­u­tives (NOBLE) offers three schol­ar­ships worth $1,500 to $2,500 to sup­port ambi­tious African Amer­i­can high school seniors towards a social sci­ence degree.

Who can apply?

• African Amer­i­can high school seniors with a GPA of 2.5 or higher.
• Already accept­ed to an accred­it­ed col­lege or university.
• Pas­sion­ate about pur­su­ing a social sci­ence degree (e.g., psy­chol­o­gy, crim­i­nal jus­tice, sociology).

What makes a strong application?

• A com­pelling essay demon­strat­ing your com­mit­ment to social jus­tice and serv­ing your community.
• Strong aca­d­e­m­ic record and involve­ment in activ­i­ties rel­e­vant to your goals.

Why NOBLE was found­ed by black law enforce­ment lead­ers to empow­er future gen­er­a­tions. They are ded­i­cat­ed to pro­mot­ing equal­i­ty and cre­at­ing pos­i­tive change with­in the jus­tice sys­tem. Their schol­ar­ship pro­gram is just one way they invest in the future of Black leaders.

Don’t miss this chance to receive finan­cial sup­port and recog­ni­tion from a pres­ti­gious orga­ni­za­tion com­mit­ted to your success.

Award: $1500-$2500

Dead­line: varies

10. Out to Protect: LGBTQ Scholarship

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Out To Pro­tect is a sup­port group for law enforce­ment per­son­nel that have come out as gay, trans, les­bian, and oth­er iden­ti­ties. The Out to Pro­tect Schol­ar­ship rec­og­nizes your courage and com­mit­ment to pos­i­tive change with­in the profession.

Who is eligible?

• Iden­ti­fy as LGBTQ+ (gay, les­bian, bisex­u­al, transgender).
• Cur­rent­ly enrolled in a basic law enforce­ment train­ing pro­gram (police acad­e­my, dis­patch­er acad­e­my, etc.) in the US.
• Com­mit­ted to being a vis­i­ble, pos­i­tive role mod­el with­in law enforcement.

What do you get?

• A $1,000 schol­ar­ship to sup­port your edu­ca­tion and journey.
• Recog­ni­tion for your ded­i­ca­tion and courage to be “out” in the field.

Finan­cial need is not a require­ment. This schol­ar­ship is open to all qual­i­fied LGBTQ+ indi­vid­u­als, regard­less of their finan­cial background.

Don’t miss this oppor­tu­ni­ty to be reward­ed for your courage and make a dif­fer­ence in law enforcement!

Award: $500+

Dead­line: June/December

11. Police Officer Assistance Trust (POAT)

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Call­ing all stu­dents pas­sion­ate about crim­i­nal jus­tice and police work! The Police Offi­cer Assis­tance Trust offers 10 schol­ar­ships fo rma­jors rang­ing form sci­ence, art, crim­i­nal jus­tice, and law.

What’s avail­able?

• 7 named schol­ar­ships: hon­or­ing fall­en or injured officers.
• 3 gen­er­al schol­ar­ships: for stu­dents with ties to law enforce­ment or inter­est in crim­i­nal justice.
• Awards for both: sci­ence and art students.
• Most schol­ar­ships: worth $2,000.

Who can apply?

• Stu­dents with a con­nec­tion to law enforce­ment or ded­i­ca­tion to crim­i­nal justice.
• Eli­gi­bil­i­ty require­ments vary per schol­ar­ship (details on website).

This orga­ni­za­tion helps offi­cers and fam­i­lies in need. By apply­ing, you con­tribute to a mean­ing­ful cause. Invest in your future and sup­port the lega­cy of brave offi­cers. Apply today!

Award: $2,000

Dead­line: May 1

12. Sheryl A. Horak Law Enforcement Explorer Memorial Scholarship

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Call­ing all high school seniors (grade 12) in the Police Explor­ers pro­gram! Hon­or Sheryl A. Horak’s lega­cy and pur­sue your dream of a law enforce­ment career with a $1,000 scholarship.

Who’s eli­gi­ble?

• Active Police Explor­ers with a pas­sion for law enforcement.
• No crim­i­nal jus­tice major required, but inter­est in the field is a must.

What do you get?

• A one-time schol­ar­ship to jump­start your edu­ca­tion­al journey.
• Recog­ni­tion for your ded­i­ca­tion and lead­er­ship potential.

What are they look­ing for?

• Strong aca­d­e­m­ic record demon­strat­ing your com­mit­ment to learning.
• Lead­er­ship qual­i­ties and involve­ment in extracur­ric­u­lar activities.
• A com­pelling per­son­al state­ment out­lin­ing your “why” for law enforcement.

Don’t miss this chance to hon­or a hero, invest in your future, and take a step towards your law enforce­ment goals!

Award: $1,000 Dead­line: May 31