The New York Police Department offers scholarships to help law enforcement officers and their dependents obtain a post-secondary degree. Scholarship awards cover the costs of tuition and books for officers pursuing a degree in various fields of study. Scholarships are awarded on an annual basis. Some scholarship awards require an officer to have served for a specific amount of years to qualify for tuition assistance.
Educational Scholarships
NYPD offers scholarship programs to active duty police officers for both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Both Pace University and St. Joseph's College offer one full-time scholarship for a law enforcement professional to obtain an undergraduate degree. The Harvard Kennedy School, Hunter College, New York Law School, St. John's University School of Law, New York University, St. Joseph's College and State University of New York at Albany all have scholarship programs for police officers to obtain graduate degrees. Funding includes full scholarships, partial scholarships and departmental paid leave of absence for officers to attend school on a full-time basis.
Scholarship for Dependents
The department has several scholarship programs for dependents and spouses of police officers. The Police Surgeon Scholarship Fund provides two $3,000 awards to dependent children of active uniformed members of service who have been admitted to a medical or dental graduate school. The Manfred Pakas Scholarship is awarded to students between the ages of 14 to 24 who are pursuing an undergraduate degree in any field. The officer must have died in the line of duty for the child to be eligible for funding. The Harry R. Ryman Memorial Scholarship as well as Dowling College offers tuition assistance to spouses of NYPD law enforcement officers.
Non-Traditional Scholarships
NYPD encourages police officers to take continuing educational and leadership courses. The FBI National Academy is an 11-week course at the University of Virginia for law enforcement personnel who have served for a minimum of five years. Officers learn specialized training techniques and share ideas and experience with other law enforcement professionals. The academy pays for the officers' room and meals while they attend the academy. The Raymond W. Kelly Graduate Scholarship is awarded to an officer who has a minimum of seven years of service. The one-time grant of $15,000 pays for a portion of the graduate school tuition at Brown University, Columbia University, Harvard University, Georgetown University, New York University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. The officer is provided with a 10 1/2-month paid leave of absence to complete the graduate degree program.
NYPD Cadet Corps
The NYPD's Cadet Corps is an apprenticeship program for college students to gain hands-on police experience while they attend school. Cadets are paid $64,000 annually for full-time work in the summer and part-time work during the school year. Cadets also qualify for $10,000 for tuition assistance on an annual basis for students who are promoted to police office after two years of service. Cadets work alongside police officers in a neighborhood precinct, Police Service Area or Transit District. Cadets also receive paid sick leave and vacation.
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Davina Price has been writing since 2003, specializing in grant and technical writing for government and nonprofit organizations. She currently is a licensed real-estate agent in Southern California and specializes in working with first-time home buyers. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from the University of Southern California.