Also, be sure to check out StudentAdvisor.com’s student generated school reviews. If you are already enrolled in a program, review your school and help others make the important decision as to where they will continue their education.

The David E. Whitmire Scholarship fund was created in 1999 by various members of the Whitmire family to honor the life and career of David E. Whitmire.

Applicants must be:

• full or part-time student
  
• graduate or undergraduate student at a four-year accredited university
• U.S. citizen
• have at least a 3.5 GPA
  
• a criminal justice, criminology, police administration, police science major
  

Application deadline is December 15, 2010.

The scholarship winner will receive $500.00.

For more information and to apply visit the David E. Whitmire Scholarship Fund’s website

Your chances for receiving financial aid are determined by these 10 factors, and will depend on the school you are attending. It is important to find out how your school stands when it comes to determining financial aid offers. If you have questions or need clarification, you should consult your school’s financial aid office for more information.

1. Your school’s policy on student loans
• Some colleges provide enough federal grants and work-study jobs to meet a student’s need
• Others schools will provide enough grants so that low-income students don’t have to borrow, while others students will have to take out modest loans
• Some schools even offer aid packages that include federal student loans of up to $7,500 a year

2. How your school calculates a family’s need
• Some schools are promising to provide enough grants to make sure families earning less than $180,000 pay not more than 10 percent of their income
• Some schools are promising enough aid so that the families only have to pay the expected family contribution (EFC) – which the school calculates based off the family’s income

3. How your school counts home equity
• Some colleges consider the equity parents have in their homes as a resource that should be tapped to help pay for college
• Other schools don’t consider equity of the parents’ home

4. The effect of the financial aid application on your chances for admission
• Some colleges reserve spots for students who can pay full price
• Other schools will meet the financial needs of their admitted students, and don’t consider a student’s financial aid application or their ability to pay when deciding about admission

5. Does the school offer merit scholarships?
• Some schools offer top students merit scholarships no matter what their expected family contribution is, or how rich their parents are
• Other schools do not offer merit scholarships

6. The school’s financial aid policy for international students
• Some schools will commit to meet the financial aid of noncitizens
• Other schools do not guarantee full aid for international students

7. The cutoff date for the meet-full-needs promise
• Some schools will only meet the needs of students who complete their aid applications on time
• Other schools commit to meet the need of those students admitted during the early or regular admission seasons and may run out of aid by the time they start admitting students off their waiting list
• There are some schools that say the timing of the application doesn’t affect the aid award at all

8. How the schools considers divorced parents
• Some schools analyze the incomes of both stepparents and birth parents to make their own judgments about which set of parents should be responsible for each student’s college costs
• Other schools only consider the incomes of the birth parents
• Schools that only use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) consider only the custodial parents’ income when determining financial aid

9. The college’s expectation for student contribution
• Some schools provide enough aid so that students aren’t required to pitch in summer earnings
• Other schools reduce the student’s need and aid package by at least $1,000, saying that the student is expected to contribute that much each year from their summer earnings

10. What the college considers as its cost
• Some schools keep their cost low by providing small allowances for books or miscellaneous expenses
• Legally a college’s total cost of attendance is supposed to include tuition, fees, room, board, books, travel, and miscellaneous expenses for other necessities

Source: U.S.News, http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/paying-for-college/2010/02/18/will-you-get-enough-financial-aid-ask-your-college-about-these-10-factors.html

1. Unsolicited or random emails offering scholarship assistance
2. If the scholarship requires you to send money upfront, but you see nothing in return – scholarships don’t ask students for money, they are supposed to give students money!
3. You’re told that you’ve won a scholarship, but it requires you to pay taxes or fees before you can receive it. You have to apply to scholarships in order to receive them, so if you don’t remember doing so, it is a scam.
4. If you receive a check in the mail for a scholarship, but are required to send a different check back paying for taxes or fees.
5. If a scholarship search service or database charges you to register to look through their information. Scholarship information is free to the public.
6. Companies that claim to fill out scholarship applications for you, if you pay them a fee. Applying for scholarships requires lots of time, work, personal information, and writing samples that outsiders cannot do thoroughly. Most likely they will pocket the cash, and never fill out any applications for you.
7. Scholarship matching services that claim you’ll win a scholarship, or they will refund your money. These scholarship matching services do not have anything to do with, or have a final say in which students receive scholarships by the sponsored organizations.
8. Some scholarship scams try to copy legit education, government, and grant-giving foundations by using official-sounding names. Look out for those that include national, administration, federal, or foundation – just because it is in their name, doesn’t mean they are official organizations!
9. If you are requested to attend a free seminar for financial aid advice or assistance, watch out! These are usually sales pitches for financial aid consulting services, pricey student loans, or scholarship matching services.
10. Some education loan scams will offer you a low-interest loan, but require that you must pay a fee before receiving it. Real loans are issued by banks or recognized lenders, and do not require a payment upfront.

Things to Keep in Mind

Many colleges, universities, nonprofit organizations and private companies award scholarships to outstanding students each year. Scholarships are awarded for merit so an application, essay, or nomination are usually required to be considered.

See Also:

College Scholarships for Criminal Justice Majors

Private Scholarships

If you are interested in making the most of your career in criminal justice, perhaps you should consider earning a Criminal Justice Master’s Degree. A criminal justice master’s degree program will emphasize both statistical and scientific analysis. Students can expect to study the history of the American Criminal Justice System, correctional theory, analytic and research methods, and criminal justice policy analysis. By going to graduate school and earning your master’s degree, you will get the specialized training that you will need to truly succeed as a criminal justice professional.

Top 10 Reasons to Earn a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice:

1. By earning your criminal justice master’s degree you will speed up the career advancement process and see more opportunities for promotion.
2. The courses you will take in graduate school will help broaden your skill set and prepare you to fill leadership positions within the field of criminal justice.
3. Master’s degree holders are eligible to work as faculty members of criminal justice colleges and universities.
4. If earning your Doctorate degree is really what interests you, a master’s degree program will help you start reaching your educational goals.
5. When you are looking for work, having a master’s degree will give you an advantage over other applicants who might not have the same credentials.
6. A master’s degree will enable you to hold high ranking leadership positions at many different criminal justice agencies.
7. Master’s degree holders earn more money on average than those who have earned a bachelor or associate’s degree.
8. People who have earned a criminal justice master’s degree typically earn between $60,000 and $100,000 annually.
9. Master’s degrees can lead to management opportunities that will enable you to shape the policy and criminal justice processes that help maintain social order and safety.
10. By earning a master’s degree in criminal justice you will enhance your career potential within the law enforcement, correctional, local and state government, and legal institutions.

If you are interested in working for the FBI, CIA, Secret Service, Border Patrol or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, earning your master’s degree is one of the best career choices that you can make. Other positions you will be eligible to fill with a master’s degree in criminal justice include:

• Chief of Police
• Prison Warden
• Director of Corrections
• Teacher
• Researcher
• Crime Analyst
• CIA Agent
• Social Worker
• Forensic Psychologist
• And many more!

More about Master’s Degree Programs.

Find a Criminal Justice Scholarship

College scholarships are essentially free money that you can use to help pay for your education. Many colleges, universities, nonprofit organizations and private companies award scholarships to outstanding students each year. Scholarships are awarded for merit so an application, essay, or nomination are usually required to be considered. Here are a couple of ideas of places where you can look for scholarships that are specifically for criminal justice majors.

Where to Look for Scholarships

Many state sheriffs’ associations award criminal justice scholarships to undergraduates who are studying criminal justice. Check the sheriffs’ association in your state to find out more about available scholarships. Below are a couple of examples:

• The Sheriff’s Institute Scholarship from the Office of the Sheriff of New York: $500 awarded to a criminal justice student from each of the state’s community colleges. Students are typically nominated by a faculty member of the criminal justice department at each school.

• North Carolina Sheriffs Association Undergraduate Criminal Justice Scholarships: $2,000 awarded each year to 10 students who are North Carolina residents and are enrolled in criminal justice degree programs. Priority is given to children of a sheriff or sheriff’s deputy or to children of a North Carolina officer killed in the line of duty. Applicants must write a one-page letter and obtain a recommendation from a sheriff’s office.

The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences awards several annual scholarships to criminal justice students and professionals. The award amounts and deadlines vary for each program.

• The William L. Simon/Anderson Publishing Outstanding Student Paper Award: Students must submit a criminal justice related research paper which will be judged on the relevancy of the research problem, the quality of theoretical orientation, the rigor of logical documentation and writing quality.

The Department of Homeland Security is another excellent source for scholarships for criminal justice majors. One of their programs includes:

• Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service Program: Scholarship provides tuition, books, room and board, plus a stipend of $8,000 for undergraduates (12,000 for graduate students) in exchange for work in an information assurance position at a Federal agency. Scholarships are awarded to students who are studying the fields of homeland security, technology, engineering or mathematics, and can fund up to two years of college expenses.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police offers several scholarships of varying amounts for active members of law enforcement.

The American Criminal Justice Association funds annual scholarships for students pursuing degrees in Criminal Justice at the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degree levels. Maximum awards are $400 and applicants must be student-members of the ACJA to be considered. Other criteria include outstanding academics and letters of recommendation from faculty.

WIFLE- Women in Federal Law Enforcement Scholarships: A member of WIFLE, or member sponsored applicant, is awarded $1,500 yearly. This scholarship intends to help foster the professional development of those engaged in law enforcement. Scholarships are awarded based on the student’s academic potential, achievement, and commitment to serving their local communities.

Captain James J. Regan Memorial Scholarship: The National Technical Investigators’ Association awards this $500 scholarship to two seniors in high school who have already enrolled in a law enforcement or criminal justice degree program. Students are chosen based on their academic record, leadership ability, and extracurricular activities.

Criminal Justice Scholarships are also available at many different universities and colleges which offer criminal justice degree programs. A few examples include:

• James B. Gillett Memorial Scholarship:  Up to $750 awarded to a junior or senior criminal justice student at Sul Ross State University. The university also offers the Joe Hicks Memorial Scholarship of up to $500 per year to an undergraduate student. For more information on both scholarships be sure to check out the school’s website.

• The University of Texas at Arlington offers a handful of different criminal justice related scholarships to students in their criminal justice degree programs. Scholarship awards range from $500 to more than $2,000.

New criminal justice scholarships are always popping up, so make sure you do some extensive research and look into all of your options. You should try to apply to every scholarship that you qualify for- It can’t hurt!

Both education and work experience are important when it comes to finding a job in criminal justice. An internship is an excellent way to get the work experience you need so that when you graduate from school you will be ready to enter the work force. Participating in an internship will also allow you to make valuable connections with criminal justice professionals, improve and diversify your resume, and get a better idea of what you want in a career.

Many criminal justice degree programs will encourage students to fill internship positions while they continue their studies. In some cases, hours worked interning can be transferred to hours of credit towards a degree. The criminal justice theory students learn in class easily transfers to the practical skills needed for an internship.

Your school or university may have an internship program of its own, or may be able to provide you with the contact information of other schools, agencies, and companies that are looking for interns. It would also be beneficial to check local bulletin boards and job listings. You could even offer to volunteer at a company or agency that you are interested in to get your foot in the door.

Things to consider when choosing your Criminal Justice Internship

• What’s your schedule? Check to be sure it will work into your schedule, especially if you are working for free. Also, make sure it will not interfere with your studies!
• Will you be paid? Most internships are unpaid, but you may be able to find some positions that offer a stipend or hourly wage.
• Will you earn credit towards your degree? Some internship programs will help you earn school credit while you work. You will need to have the internship approved by your school and will often need to fill out paperwork to ensure you get your credits.
• When do you want to start? Many spring semester internship programs have application deadlines of Dec 2009, so now is the perfect time to start looking for an internship!

Internships are the best way to get the work experience you need to find a job once you graduate. Nothing will beat the experience you will get from working with real criminal justice professionals in a real work environment.

Online Degrees and distance learning programs are convenient, flexible, student centered, and less expensive than traditional university programs.

Other Advantages of Distance Learning Online

• Classes are usually offered throughout the year- start whenever is best for you!
• Study anytime, anywhere!
• Work at your own pace.
• Avoid commuting.
• Develop project and time management skills.
• Save on tuition and childcare costs.
• Advance your career and earn higher salaries.

Certificate programs appeal to many people. Some people view certificate programs as an opportunity to advance their career without the time and financial commitments that are associated with pursuing a degree. Certificate programs can also enable individuals who have already earned a degree to improve their skills, extend their knowledge, and possibly take a new career path. In some cases, a certificate program can lead to admission into a related degree program.

Certificate programs are available at traditional colleges and universities, trade and vocational schools, community colleges, and online. If you are considering changing your career or furthering your education, browse through available certification programs to find one that will suit your needs.

Types of Doctoral Degrees:

• Ph.D. or Doctor of Philosophy
• M.D. or Medical Doctor
• J.D. or Juris Doctor (lawyer)

Students may work to obtain research doctorates or professional doctorates. Those who graduate from a research doctoral degree program usually find work as university professors or researchers in a specific field. Graduates of a professional doctoral degree program are qualified to work in specific professions, such as law or medicine.

If a doctorate is something that would help you advance your career, browse through the available programs to find one that will suit your needs.