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Top 19 Criminal Justice Scholarships in April 2023
A degree in criminal justice can be a pathway to a variety of careers including police officer, FBI agent, lawyer, forensic psychologist, and a researcher. One of the best ways to pay for your education is with criminal justice scholarships.
Keep on reading to learn everything you need to know about criminal justice scholarships including application deadlines, award amounts, and eligibility requirements.
Jump ahead to:
- Top criminal justice scholarships
- How to win criminal justice scholarships
- Resources for students studying criminal justice
- Frequently asked questions
- Explore these other scholarships categories
The Scholarships360 Research Team reviews all scholarships individually and strives to exclude any scholarship where any of the below applies: If you believe a scholarship has been published in error, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take a look!
* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system.
Scholarships360 Exclusive The Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship is open to all students who want some extra help paying for their education. Whether you are a high school student who hopes to… Sponsored Easy scholarship from Nitro College open to all high school, college, community and graduate students. Sponsored Open to high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students. Offered by American Society of Criminology Are you a full-time undergraduate or graduate student with an interest in criminology? If so, consider applying for the Gene Carte Student Paper Competition! Each year, the competition awards between… Offered by Brian Terry Foundation The Brian Terry Scholar Program is funded by the Brian Terry Foundation, an organization that provides support for families of fallen U.S. Border Patrol agents. Each year, their Brian Terry… Offered by Crimcheck Are you a current postsecondary student studying the criminal justice field? Alternatively, are you a high school senior or graduate who will be soon enrolled in a postsecondary institution to… Offered by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. The George E. Meares Memorial Scholarship is funded by the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., a historically African-American fraternity that leverages its power, influence, and more than 100 years of… Offered by Out To Protect Are you a LGBTQ+ individual with plans of pursuing a career in law enforcement? Look no further - the Out to Protect Scholarship may be a great opportunity for you!… Offered by Learning for Life Coporation The Capt. James J. Regan Scholarship is funded by Learning for Life Corporation, an organization that develops engaging, research-based, academic, character, leadership, and career-focused programs aligned to state and national… Offered by Pearl Mae Foundation Are you a high school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student committed to a career in healthcare or first responder fields? If so, you might consider applying for the Pearl Mae… This scholarship might not currently be accepting applications. Most scholarship programs only accept applications a few months ahead of their annual deadline. We’ve estimated this deadline based on last year’s deadline in order to help you plan out your scholarship applications. Sponsored Annual $10k scholarship from CollegeXpress open to high school students in the class of 2024, 2026, and 2026. Offered by Pi Gamma Mu Are you a Pi Gammu Mu member pursuing a graduate degree in a social science field? If so, consider applying for the Pi Gamma Mu Scholarships! The scholarships are open… This scholarship might not currently be accepting applications. Most scholarship programs only accept applications a few months ahead of their annual deadline. We’ve estimated this deadline based on last year’s deadline in order to help you plan out your scholarship applications. Offered by Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Are you an undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a degree in accounting, business administration, criminal justice, or finance? If so, you might be interested in the Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program!… This scholarship might not currently be accepting applications. Most scholarship programs only accept applications a few months ahead of their annual deadline. We’ve estimated this deadline based on last year’s deadline in order to help you plan out your scholarship applications. Offered by Silicon Valley Community Foundation The Harold Johnson Law Enforcement Scholarship is for students who plan to pursue a career in police work, corrections or other criminal justice fields. This scholarship is designed to recognize… This scholarship might not currently be accepting applications. Most scholarship programs only accept applications a few months ahead of their annual deadline. We’ve estimated this deadline based on last year’s deadline in order to help you plan out your scholarship applications. Offered by Elite Lawyer Are you a U.S. citizen attending an accredited U.S. university who will be enrolled for this upcoming academic year? If so, consider applying for the Elite Lawyer scholarship! No worries… This scholarship might not currently be accepting applications. Most scholarship programs only accept applications a few months ahead of their annual deadline. We’ve estimated this deadline based on last year’s deadline in order to help you plan out your scholarship applications. Offered by Maine Chiefs of Police Association The Maine Chiefs Of Police Memorial Scholarship is funded by the Maine Chiefs of Police Association, an organization with a mission to "secure a closer official and personal relationship among… This scholarship might not currently be accepting applications. Most scholarship programs only accept applications a few months ahead of their annual deadline. We’ve estimated this deadline based on last year’s deadline in order to help you plan out your scholarship applications. Sponsored Easy scholarship from Niche open to all high school, college, and graduate students. Sponsored Easy scholarship program open to all students who watch a student-led virtual college tourTop 19 Criminal Justice Scholarships in April 2023
** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements.
***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.
$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship
$2,000 Nitro College Scholarship – No Essay
$25k “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship
Gene Carte Student Paper Competition
Brian Terry Scholar Program
Melissa Linville Criminal Justice Scholarship
George E. Meares Memorial Scholarship
John Reinert Scholarship
Capt. James J. Regan Scholarship
Pearl Mae Scholarship
$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship
Pi Gamma Mu Scholarships
Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program
Harold Johnson Law Enforcement Scholarship
Elite Lawyer Scholarship
Maine Chiefs Of Police Memorial Scholarship
Niche $2,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
$2,000 CampusReel Virtual Tour Scholarship
How to win criminal justice scholarships
If you’re applying for criminal justice scholarships, you may be required to submit an essay as part of your application. Your essay can make or break your application! Scholarship committees review huge amounts of submissions, so writing a unique and compelling essay can help send your application to the top of the stack.
Fortunately, we have many resources to help you write a knockout essay!
- How to write a 250 word essay
- How to write a 500 word essay
- How to write an essay about yourself
- Overview of common scholarship essay prompts
- How to start a scholarship essay (with examples)
- How to write a winning scholarship essay
- How to end a scholarship essay
Resources for students studying criminal justice
Internships
Adding an internship to your resume is an excellent way to boost your chances of securing full-time employment after graduation. Below we’ve listed some federal agencies that offer internships for students pursuing careers in criminal justice. However, you should also expand your search to the state level and seek out internships in your home state and local community.
- U.S. Department of Justice Paid Student Internships
- National Criminal Justice Association Undergraduate Internship Program
- FBI Honors Internship Program
Keep reading: How to get an internship
Job boards
The following job boards are specifically designed for students seeking careers in criminal justice:
- ACJS Career Center
- APPA Career Center
- Federal Government Jobs, Law Enforcement
- NCJA Connect2Justice Jobs
Keep reading: 10 tips for finding your ideal job
Criminal justice associations
Joining a criminal justice association is a great way to connect with industry professionals, find mentors and internships, attend conferences, and gain access to scholarships only available to members. You will have to pay dues, but most associations offer discounted membership rates for students. Here are a few associations worth exploring:
- National Criminal Justice Association
- Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
- American Society of Criminology
- American Correctional Association
- American Probation and Parole Association
- American Academy of Forensic Sciences
Student open access journals
You’re probably reading a lot of material for class already, so picking up more reading may be the last thing on your mind. However, these open access journals will only make you a better student. You may come across interesting topics to introduce in a classroom discussion, write about in a term paper, or reference in an interview with an employer.
Frequently asked questions
Does the FBI offer scholarships?
Yes! Every year, the FBI-LEEDA program awards five $1,000 scholarships to college students. Other opportunities for students interested in the FBI include the FBI Honors Internship Program, the FBI Collegiate Hiring Initiative, and the Visiting Scientist Program.
Also see: How to become an FBI agent
Is criminal justice a good major choice?
A degree in criminal justice opens the door to a variety of careers including law enforcement, legal defense and prosecution, private investigation, forensic accounting, social work, crime scene investigation, and more. As you can see, most of these career paths are well-suited for those who are interested in serving their community and helping others. If that’s what you’re passionate about, then criminal justice could be a good fit for you!
Is criminal justice hard?
Like any field of study, majoring in criminal justice requires hard work and dedication. Students can expect a broad range of coursework covering topics such as constitutional law, criminology theory, criminal investigation, forensic law, judicial process, psychology, sociology, and more. A bachelor’s degree in this field typically requires four years of full-time study.
