A criminal justice career may begin with at least four years in college, and – in many cases – lifelong education to stay current with trends in the criminal justice field. This education can be very costly unless you pursue grants and scholarships. Fortunately, with the heightened need for criminal justice personnel and agents, the availability of scholarships designed specifically for criminal justice education are fairly easy to find.Scholarships, like grants, do not need to be repaid. And, like grants, scholarships often are awarded based upon financial need or grade point average. But, some scholarships might be awarded based upon a need for specific personnel in a given area. For instance, a shortage of criminologists might generate scholarships from schools or organizations to help fill that need.

One example includes this specific Scholarship for Service (SFS), a program designed to increase and strengthen the cadre of federal information assurance professionals that protect the government’s critical information infrastructure. This is a government scholarship designed for a specific government job, so your educational choices are limited. But, the compensation is great, and you can find other scholarships like this one.

Another resource for various scholarships is offered by the U.S. Department of State. When you read through these scholarships, you’ll discover that many are designed for various groups, such as daughters of foreign service personnel or for African-American scholars. Other scholarships are based upon merit and others are granted to students with disabilities.

You can find many resources for scholarships on the Internet. One site includes Students.gov, another government site that provides student assistance programs, scholarship searches and specific scholarships. Another resource to search includes the college you plan to attend. If you are taking criminology courses, you can look for scholarships provided by that school for a criminology degree.

But don’t limit your search for career-specific scholarships. You can seek out scholarships for high grades (merit) or for financial need. Beware of scholarship scams, though. You should not pay to compete for a scholarship, as this may be a way to solicit your money without any return.

Scholarships are free – all you need to do is apply and wait for an answer. And, don’t limit yourself to one scholarship application. When you find a scholarship you think might work for you, take the time to follow the guidelines. You never know – scholarships might pay for most of your college tuition!