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Top 23 Criminal Justice Scholarships in December 2022
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 Easy scholarship open to all US-based high school, college, community college and graduate students.
Sponsored Easy scholarship open to all high school, college, community and graduate students. Sponsored Open to high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year. Offered by Elite Lawyer Open to college and graduate students who make a difference in their communities. Scholarships360 Exclusive Open to all postsecondary students, regardless of the type of training/education they are pursuing. Scholarships360 Exclusive Open to current undergraduates at four-year universities in the U.S. Offered by Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Open to college sophomores and graduate students pursuing degrees in accounting, business administration, criminal justice, or finance. Offered by Pi Gamma Mu Open to Pi Gammu Mu members who will be attending graduate school to study a social science, social work, or related fields. Offered by Crimcheck Open to high school seniors, college students, and graduate students who are studying in the criminal justice field. Offered by Omega Psi Chi Fraternity, Inc. Open to Omega Psi Chi fraternity members pursuing graduate studies in social work, the social sciences, or criminal justice. Sponsored Annual $10k scholarship from CollegeXpress open to all high school students. Offered by My Alarm Center Open to high school seniors and college freshmen or sophomores who are studying in a security focused field. Offered by Association of Former Intelligence Officers Open to graduate students studying National Security, International Relations, or Intelligence who intend to serve in the U.S. government. Offered by Brian Terry Foundation Open to current and incoming college students planning to study criminal justice and eventually seek a career in law enforcement. Offered by Out To Protect Open to students who are enrolled in a basic law enforcement training program and identify as LGTBQ+. Offered by American Society of Criminology Open to undergraduate or graduate students who submit a conceptual or empirical paper directly relating to criminology. Offered by Pearl Mae Foundation Open to students seeking careers in healthcare or first responder fields. Offered by Maine Chiefs of Police Association Open to graduating high school seniors who hope to pursue a career in law enforcement. Sponsored Easy scholarship open to high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students. Sponsored Easy scholarship from Niche open to all high school, college, and graduate students.Top 23 Criminal Justice Scholarships in December 2022
** 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
Niche $50,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
Elite Lawyer Scholarship
“Follow Your Own Path” Essay Scholarship
“Outstanding Undergraduate” Essay Scholarship
Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program
Pi Gamma Mu Scholarships
Melissa Linville Criminal Justice Scholarship
George E. Meares Memorial Scholarship
$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship
My Alarm Center’s Scholarship Program
Jasin Graduate Scholarship
Brian Terry Scholar Program
John Reinert Scholarship
Gene Carte Student Paper Competition
Pearl Mae Scholarship
Maine Chiefs Of Police Memorial Scholarship
$25k “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship
Niche $2,000 “No Essay” College 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.
