100 Club OF Illinois Scholar Portal

Created by the sons of Chicago Police Officer Larry J. Vincent, this program supports a 100 Club Scholar attending a private institution with four years of membership from a 100 Club alumnus and a financial stipend of up to $2,500 annually for textbooks. For more information see: LJV Memorial Scholarship

These grants provide payment toward tuition and mandatory fees for spouses and children of Illinois police/fire/correctional officers killed or at least 90 percent disabled in the line of duty. Recipients must be enrolled on at least a half-time basis and may receive up to 8 semesters/12 quarters of payment for undergraduate or graduate study. Scholars must be attending an approved Illinois public and private, two- and four-year colleges, universities, hospital schools, and certain other degree-granting institutions.

Apply for ISAC Funds

The Public Safety Officers’ Education Assistance (PSOEA) Program provides financial assistance, to seek higher education, to the spouses and eligible children of local police, fire, and emergency public safety officers who have been killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. Educational assistance through the PSOEA Program is available after the Public Safety Officers’ Benefit (PSOB) death or disability claim process has been completed and benefits have been awarded. The spouse of a public safety officer is eligible to receive PSOEA funds for educational expenses at any time during his or her lifetime. However, for a child of the deceased or disabled officer, eligibility is limited to educational expenses that occur before his or her 27th birthday. Also, a spouse or child is eligible to receive PSOEA funds for a period no greater than 45 months of full-time education or a proportionate period of a part-time program.

C.O.P.S. scholarships provide financial assistance to surviving children and to surviving spouses of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, according to C.O.P.S. scholarship criteria, who wish to pursue a course of study beyond high school. (types of higher education include students enrolled in under-graduate and post-graduate studies at an accredited college or university, or enrolled at an accredited trade/vocational school.)

Apply for C.O.P.S. Scholarship

First Responders Children’s Foundation provides scholarships for a single academic year. Awards are based on financial need, academic merit, and achievements such as demonstrated leadership, excellence in the arts or sports, and/or volunteer activities benefiting the community. Scholarships may be renewed annually for up to four years depending on the availability of funds, the applicant’s financial need, and the recipient’s academic record. Priority is generally given to students whose parent has suffered a line of duty disability or line of duty death and demonstrate the greatest financial need, though all eligible children of first responders are encouraged to apply. Scholarships are remitted directly to the student’s school, and as such, can only be applied to the tuition and room and board bills. In the event that there is no balance towards which to apply the scholarship, the funds will be returned to the Foundation. For more information on eligibility requirements or to apply, visit their website.

The 9/11 Promise Run provides scholarships to qualified children of first responders and military service members who have been killed or injured and are unable to hold employment. Scholarship amounts range from a minimum award of $5,000 to a max award of $15,000. Applications from qualified individuals will be accepted beginning November 1 each year and will be awarded in the following spring. Applications must be submitted no later than midnight March 15th. Scholarship decisions will be announced no later than May 1st.

Review Eligibility and Apply Now!

The Silver Shield Foundation is committed to helping the children of fallen police officers and firefighters/EMS achieve their educational dreams. They provide tuition assistance, tutoring services, college preparatory services and spousal educational assistance. Visit their website to learn more.

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation (Public Charity) has established a scholarship program to assist students who plan to enroll in a part-time or full-time firefighter, law enforcement, or emergency medical (paramedic or EMT) program at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming Fall academic year.

This program is administered by Scholarship America^®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor, and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team. Awards are granted without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability, or national origin. Review their website for the application window and eligibility requirements.

The NAEMT Foundation works to strengthen and build a better future for EMS through funding EMS education and research. One of the challenges facing EMS today is recruitment and retention of EMS practitioners. In an effort to address this challenge, the NAEMT Foundation is offering scholarship opportunities to individuals interested in pursuing a career in EMS. Applications are accepted between March 1 and April 30 (closes at midnight EST), and scholarships are awarded in June. Amount of Award: up to $1,000, based on the cost of the EMS program and one-year NAEMT student membership.

The Foundation offers financial assistance for post-secondary education and training to spouses, life partners, children and stepchildren of firefighters honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. Children and stepchildren must be under age 30 and have been under age 22 at the time of the firefighter’s death. To learn more about the application programs, visit their website.

Operation Thank an Officer currently offers three different scholarship opportunities listed below. Operation Thank an Officer independently judges each scholarship application and scores according to scoring guidelines. Criteria used for scoring includes: academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and quality of essay.

Operation Thank an Officer Scholarship

Darius Quimby Memorial Scholarship

Law Enforcement Scholarship

View eligibility requirements and application.

The FLEOA Foundation Scholastic Awards Program is open to interested eligible applicants. Listed below are the eligibility rules, requirements, and directions for the FLEOA Foundation Scholastic Awards Program.

Eligibility: High School graduates, who are the children of current/regular, retired or deceased members of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) may apply. Note, an applicant’s parent must be a current FLEOA member, and have been an active FLEOA member for a minimum of 2 years. This requirement does not apply to the children of FLEOA members who died in the line of duty.

Visit their website for more information and deadlines.

To honor local firefighters’ and police officers’ service to the University community and the City, the University of Chicago announces its annual Police and Fire Scholarship program. To be considered for this full-tuition scholarship, candidates must be high school seniors who qualify for admission to the University of Chicago and be children (or the legally adopted children) of currently active, sworn Chicago Firefighters, Chicago Police Officers, or University of Chicago Police Officers who will remain active for the duration of their children’s college careers. Students whose parent lost his or her life in the line of duty are also eligible to apply. Each winner is guaranteed full tuition for four years of undergraduate studies (12 academic quarters), provided he or she makes satisfactory academic progress and remains enrolled full-time in the College. Additional financial aid is also available for families who apply and qualify for need-based aid. 

The John Reinert Scholarship award is for individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or transgender and who are pursuing a career in law enforcement by attending a basic law enforcement training program.  This could be a basic police academy, sheriff’s academy, corrections academy, or 9-1-1 dispatcher academy.  We believe that one of the best ways of eliminating homophobia in law enforcement is by having positive and visible role models from the LGBT community serving in ranks of the law enforcement profession.  We also recognize the courage required to “come out” and to be “out” on the job as a law enforcement professional.  Our scholarships reward those individuals who have the courage and willingness to be visible role models in law enforcement. Scholarship awards are $1000 and are typically announced in June and December of each year. 

Any questions can be directed to the IFCA Office at 847.966.0732 or by email info@illinoisfirechiefs.org or visit their website for more information and to apply.

Qualifying Criteria and Eligibility:

Scholarships are offered to “qualifying persons” and related children, stepchildren, grandchildren and spouses. A qualifying person is someone who is an active member of CPOF for 12+ consecutive months before applying, and is actively working or retired from the Corrections profession. Applicants must: Be a U.S citizen or legal non-citizen, be a full-time student, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and have financial need. They must be enrolled in a 2-year or 4-year college, or training college or certification program.

For more information and to apply, click here.

Eligibility criteria:

• Dependent (Son or Daughter) of a Line of Duty Death member of the Chicago Fire Department

• Currently enrolled in school: 1st Grade – College

• Completed Application

• Report Card or Transcript from the last Quarter or Semester

For more information and to apply, click here.

Folds of Honor scholarships are available to spouses and children of fallen or disabled first responders.

Eligibility Requirements

For more information about the Folds of Honor Scholarship, visit their website.

The Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund offers children who have lost a parent in the line of duty an opportunity to receive a $2,500 Bright Start College Savings Scholarship. 

For more information about the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office scholarship and how to apply, visit their website.

The W. H. “Howie” McClennan scholarship provides financial assistance for sons, daughters, or legally adopted children of fire fighters killed in the line of duty planning to attend a university, accredited college, or other institution of higher learning.

For more information about the IAFF W. H. “Howie” McClennan scholarship , visit their website.