§12555. Scholarship assistance

(a) Scholarships authorized

(1) The Director may award scholarships to participants who agree to work in a State or local police force in accordance with agreements entered into pursuant to subsection (d).

(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), each scholarship payment made under this section for each academic year shall not exceed-

(i) $10,000; or

(ii) the cost of the educational expenses related to attending an institution of higher education.

(B) In the case of a participant who is pursuing a course of educational study during substantially an entire calendar year, the amount of scholarship payments made during such year shall not exceed $13,333.

(C) The total amount of scholarship assistance received by any one student under this section shall not exceed $40,000.

(3) Recipients of scholarship assistance under this section shall continue to receive such scholarship payments only during such periods as the Director finds that the recipient is maintaining satisfactory progress as determined by the institution of higher education the recipient is attending.

(4)(A) The Director shall make scholarship payments under this section directly to the institution of higher education that the student is attending.

(B) Each institution of higher education receiving a payment on behalf of a participant pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall remit to such student any funds in excess of the costs of tuition, fees, and room and board payable to the institution.

(b) Reimbursement authorized

(1) The Director may make payments to a participant to reimburse such participant for the costs of educational expenses if the student agrees to work in a State or local police force in accordance with the agreement entered into pursuant to subsection (d).

(2)(A) Each payment made pursuant to paragraph (1) for each academic year of study shall not exceed-

(i) $10,000; or

(ii) the cost of educational expenses related to attending an institution of higher education.

(B) In the case of a participant who is pursuing a course of educational study during substantially an entire calendar year, the amount of scholarship payments made during such year shall not exceed $13,333.

(C) The total amount of payments made pursuant to subparagraph (A) to any 1 student shall not exceed $40,000.

(c) Use of scholarship

Scholarships awarded under this subsection ¹ shall only be used to attend a 4-year institution of higher education, except that-

(1) scholarships may be used for graduate and professional study; and

(2) if a participant has enrolled in the program upon or after transfer to a 4-year institution of higher education, the Director may reimburse the participant for the participant's prior educational expenses.

(d) Agreement

(1)(A) Each participant receiving a scholarship or a payment under this section shall enter into an agreement with the Director.

(B) An agreement under subparagraph (A) shall contain assurances that the participant shall-

(i) after successful completion of a baccalaureate program and training as prescribed in section 12557 of this title, work for 4 years in a State or local police force without there having arisen sufficient cause for the participant's dismissal under the rules applicable to members of the police force of which the participant is a member;

(ii) complete satisfactorily-

(I) an educational course of study and receipt of a baccalaureate degree (in the case of undergraduate study) or the reward of credit to the participant for having completed one or more graduate courses (in the case of graduate study); and

(II) Police Corps training and certification by the Director that the participant has met such performance standards as may be established pursuant to section 12557 of this title; and

(iii) repay all of the scholarship or payment received plus interest at the rate of 10 percent if the conditions of clauses (i) and (ii) are not complied with.

(2)(A) A recipient of a scholarship or payment under this section shall not be considered to be in violation of the agreement entered into pursuant to paragraph (1) if the recipient-

(i) dies; or

(ii) becomes permanently and totally disabled as established by the sworn affidavit of a qualified physician.

(B) If a scholarship recipient is unable to comply with the repayment provision set forth in paragraph (1)(B)(ii) ² because of a physical or emotional disability or for good cause as determined by the Director, the Director may substitute community service in a form prescribed by the Director for the required repayment.

(C) The Director shall expeditiously seek repayment from a participant who violates an agreement described in paragraph (1).

(e) Dependent child

A dependent child of a law enforcement officer-

(1) who is a member of a State or local police force or is a Federal criminal investigator or uniformed police officer,

(2) who is not a participant in the Police Corps program, but

(3) who serves in a State for which the Director has approved a Police Corps plan, and

(4) who is killed in the course of performing police duties,

shall be entitled to the scholarship assistance authorized in this section for any course of study in any accredited institution of higher education. Such dependent child shall not incur any repayment obligation in exchange for the scholarship assistance provided in this section.

(f) Application

Each participant desiring a scholarship or payment under this section shall submit an application as prescribed by the Director in such manner and accompanied by such information as the Director may reasonably require.

( Pub. L. 103–322, title XX, §200106, Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2050 ; Pub. L. 107–273, div. C, title I, §11006(1), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1817 .)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 14095 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments

2002-Subsecs. (a)(2), (b)(2). Pub. L. 107–273 substituted "$10,000" for "$7,500" in subpar. (A)(i), "$13,333" for "$10,000" in subpar. (B), and "$40,000" for "$30,000" in subpar. (C).

¹ So in original. Probably should be "section".

² So in original. Probably should be paragraph "(1)(B)(iii)".