Before you begin your search for any type of grant, scholarship or financial assistance for college, you should complete and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Although required for federal student aid, nearly every college uses the FASFA to assist in determining a student’s eligibility for state and private grants, as well as scholarships. The FASFA application can be completed at the FAFSA website, or you can obtain the application from your college’s financial aid office.
After submitting the FASFA application, you should inquire at your college’s financial aid office for information on grants or scholarships specifically related to law enforcement majors. This is especially true if the college you are attending is well-known for the quality and size of its law enforcement-related programs. These colleges tend to have a number of memorial grants and scholarship awards for students who major in law enforcement, such as Sam Houston University in Texas. The financial aid office at Sam Houston University has a listing with 43 law-enforcement related grants and scholarship.
Your college’s financial aid office will also be able to provide you with information on the federal grants that you quality for based upon your FASFA application. The most commonly used grant is the Pell Grant, which is a needs-based grant that is provided to income-qualifying students. You may be able to receive a Pell Grant every year you attend college, depending on your income. The maximum amount of the Pell Grant available per student is determined each year in light of educational costs.
Also available from the federal grant program is the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG Grant). This grant is intended for full and part-time students who have extreme financial need.
A Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant is available as well. The requirements for this grant are based strictly on academic qualifications.