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Scholarships
Top criminal justice scholarships for you
Find scholarships for criminal justice majors that can help you pay for college.
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Scholarships for criminal justice majors
Elmer L. Peters Memorial Law Enforcement Officer Tuition, Textbook and Toolbox Scholarship
Due: 4/30/26
|No essay
|No Recommendations Required
|No Transcripts Required
$500
The Elmer L. Peters Memorial Law Enforcement Officer Tuition, Textbook, and Toolbox Scholarship is awarded for tuition, textbooks, and tools to a degree-seeking student in Criminal Justice Technology. The student must also be a post-certified officer currently serving in a law enforcement position. Once awarded, funds are split with $250 applied to tuition and $250 applied to textbook and toolbox expenses. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Pi Gamma Mu Scholarships
Due: 5/1/26
|No min. GPA Required
$2,500
Pi Gamma Mu members could qualify for an award to attend graduate school. Scholarships are intended for first time graduate students. Students who have already earned an advanced degree are not eligible to apply. The degree program must be in one of the following areas of study: anthropology, criminal justice, economics, geography-human, gerontology, history, history of education, human services, international relations, political science, psychology, social philosophy, sociology, social work...
A T & T First Responder Scholarship Endowment
Due: 5/15/26
|No essay
|No Recommendations Required
|No min. GPA Required
|No Transcripts Required
Varies
The A T & T First Responder Scholarship Endowment supports full-time students in the Criminal Justice Program at the Georgetown, Dover, or Stanton Campuses. Preference will be given to students between the ages of 18 and 24 years old, who represent an underserved community or demonstrate financial need. Students may visit the scholarship's website or contact the Financial Aid & Scholarships for more information.
Commander Newell S. Rand Jr. Scholarship Program
Due: 6/1/26
|No Transcripts Required
$1,000
The Park Law Enforcement Association's Newell S. Rand Jr. Scholarship Program was created to honor the memory of a pioneer in our field. The program is designed to provide a scholarship to students pursuing an Associate, Bachelor or Master's Degree in an accredited course of study relating to a career in some aspect of park operations. Qualified candidates must be pursuing a degree in one of the following areas of study: Conservation Law Enforcement; Criminal Justice/Police Science; Natural R...
Diane Humetewa Scholarship
Due: 6/15/26
Varies
The Diane J. Humetewa Scholarship (DHS) is a highly competitive, merit-based scholarship for college seniors and students admitted to graduate and professional degree programs related to the field of social justice. The DHS was established to honor Diane J. Humetewa and her accomplishment of becoming the first Native American woman appointed to the Federal Bench. Applicants must be an enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe. Applicants must be enrolled in a regionally accredited college or universi...
Chief Matthew Clancy Criminal Justice Leadership Scholarship
Due: 7/14/26
|No essay
|No Recommendations Required
|No Transcripts Required
$2,000
The Chief Matthew Clancy Criminal Justice Leadership Scholarship is open to students enrolled in the Technical College of the Lowcountry Criminal Justice Program who have demonstrated a commitment to community policing. The applicants must be registered for 6-or more credits. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
DCCI Scholarship for Canadian Students with Disabilities
Due: 7/31/26
|No Recommendations Required
|No min. GPA Required
|No Transcripts Required
$1,000
Disability Credit Canada is committed to helping young disabled Canadians achieve their goals in higher education or vocational training towards employment, so we are proud to be offering the DCCI Scholarship for Canadian Students with Disabilities. The scholarship will be awarded to a high school student with a documented disability who is pursuing post-secondary education in the field of study in health care, criminal justice, or community and social services at an accredited Canadian insti...
OACP College Scholarship Program
Due: 12/31/26
$1,000
Each year, the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police provides college scholarships to students who plan to enter law enforcement or other criminal justice career fields or are currently in the fields and are taking college courses to further their careers. Preference points will be given to those entering or are in law enforcement; immediate family members of an Oregon Police Officer killed or disabled in the line of duty; and/or dependents of OACP Members. Applicants must meet with a local pol...
Charles 'Chubby' Brown Memorial Fund
Due: 2/17/27
$2,000
The Charles 'Chubby' Brown Memorial Fund was created at The Pittsburgh Foundation to provide scholarships to graduating seniors of Shaler Area High School who show academic excellence and intend to pursue a two- or four-year program of study at a college or university. Students must pursue a degree or studies in Social Work, Education or Teaching, Policing or Law Enforcement or Criminal Justice, or Healthcare. Preference will be given to applicants who have been disproportionately affected by...
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What are criminal justice scholarships?
Criminal justice scholarships are financial aid for college created specifically for criminal justice students. Scholarships for criminal justice majors can help students access higher education opportunities that otherwise may be out of reach because of financial reasons. All scholarships are free money for college that you don’t have to pay back.
Eligibility requirements for criminal justice scholarships
Before you apply for criminal justice scholarships, make sure you check the eligibility requirements to see if you qualify. These may include:
- Minimum GPA
- Community service experience
- U.S. citizenship
- Plans to attend an accredited program
- Leadership skills
- FAFSA® submission
Scholarship requirements vary, so don’t assume you won’t qualify. Keep searching for scholarships that best match your qualifications.
Are criminal justice scholarships worth my time?
If you want to get as much free money as you can for your education, then yes! You’ll find some scholarships are quick and easy to apply for, while others require more time and effort. Typically, fewer students apply for scholarships that require work (like writing an essay) which means you could have better odds of winning if you apply for one of those.
Pro tip: Don’t pass up on criminal justice scholarships that have smaller award amounts. ($) There’s typically less competition for them—and they add up!
How do I find criminal justice scholarships?
From your school to national organizations, there are so many places to find criminal justice scholarships that can help you pay for college.
Scholarship resources
- The financial aid office at a college or career school
- Organizations (such as professional associations) related to your field of interest
- Federal agencies
- Free scholarship search engines, like Scholly Scholarships
- Local libraries, businesses, or associations
Your high school guidance office is a great place to start when looking for local scholarships. You could also try doing a search for your city’s name and “community foundation,” or the county you live in and “foundation.”
Scholly Scholarships
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Easily search through thousands of college scholarships based on your background, major, state you live in, and more.
Hot tip! Smaller scholarships may have less competition, increasing your odds of winning.
What types of criminal justice scholarships are available?
Need-based scholarships
These are scholarships for students who have demonstrated a financial need. There’s no universal number or set income level that tells you if you qualify. How each scholarship defines what financial need means varies. The federal government as well as specific organizations, corporations, and colleges/universities/schools offer need-based scholarships.
Merit scholarships
Merit scholarships are for students who have shown high academic, athletic, or extracurricular achievement over their high school careers. Not all schools/colleges offer merit-aid—highly selective schools typically don’t. The process for applying for merit scholarships varies. For merit scholarships offered through colleges and universities, you generally don’t have to do anything other than complete the application to the school itself. For some schools, you need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) to be eligible.
Career-specific grants or scholarships
These are awarded to students who know they want a career in a specific industry. Maybe they know they want to be a teacher, a nurse, or an engineer. To be eligible for grants, students must submit the FAFSA®. To find career-specific scholarships, try searching for your major and “association.”
Community or nonprofit scholarships
Nonprofit and community organizations often receive funding from donors to create scholarship programs for students who need them.
Tips for successful scholarship applications
- Pull together everything you need for the application including transcripts, so you can submit a complete scholarship application.
- You may need a recommendation letter or letters for a scholarship. Ask a teacher, employer, or someone else who knows you to write one for you—and be sure to give them enough time to do it.
- If you’re writing a scholarship essay, follow the prompt, answer the essay question completely, and write from your experience. A few well-written essays that you can reuse for different scholarship applications can really pay off.
- Highlight your strengths and achievements in your application.
- Talk about your financial need and what you would use the scholarship money for if you won. How would it help?
- Have to interview for a scholarship? Dress to impress in a professional outfit. And do your research! Look into how/why the scholarship was created. Try to bring up why it’s meaningful to you. Also, don’t forget to send a thank-you note afterwards.
- Keep track of all the deadlines for the scholarships you’re applying to. If you miss one, they may not extend the due date.
- Apply for scholarships year after year, all through college. As you continue your studies, gain more experience, and try new extracurricular activities in college, you might be eligible for more scholarships you weren’t originally qualified for.
Want more tips to up your chances of winning? Check out our scholarship guide for everything you need to know about finding and winning scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
These tips can help as you get ready to apply for criminal justice scholarships.
When are scholarship application deadlines?
There’s no standard deadline for scholarship applications. Each scholarship has its own deadline, so be sure to keep track of dates and make sure you don’t miss any deadlines of scholarships that you want to apply to.
Do you need to know which college you’re attending?
You don’t need to know which college you’re going to attend before applying for most scholarships. However, once you’re awarded scholarships, some of them may ask for eligibility verification—which can include proof of college enrollment.
Is there a limit on how many scholarships you can apply for?
Absolutely not, so apply for as many as you can to increase your chances of winning free money. Want to find more types of scholarships? There are so many, check them out!
Pro tip: Apply for scholarships each year you’re in college.
Does every scholarship application require an essay?
Not every scholarship will ask you to submit an essay—different scholarships have different requirements. If you’re applying for a scholarship with an essay and need help writing yours, get tips for writing scholarship essays.
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Learn when and how to apply for the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to maximize your chances of getting federal student financial aid. Get tips now.
No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. See Official Rules and Entry Periods on each scholarship page.
FAFSA® is a registered service mark of U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid.