First Responders Children's Foundation Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by First Responders Children's Foundation

Our Scholarship Program helps the children of first responders move toward their educational goals — not just with financial support, but with a community of peers, mentors, and partner organizations. Every awardee becomes part of the Scholars Council, a network of students and working professionals who support one another through guidance and opportunities.

How the awards work
- Scholarships are granted for a single academic year.
- Selection is based on financial need and academic merit, plus distinguishing achievements such as leadership, excellence in the arts or athletics, and meaningful volunteer or community service.
- The total number of awards varies each year.
- Awards may be renewed for up to four years, depending on available funds, ongoing financial need, and the recipient’s academic performance.
- To remain eligible for renewal, scholars must take part in Scholars Council activities and respond to communications and outreach from the Foundation.

Eligibility requirements
Relationship to a first responder
- You must be the biological child, adopted child, or stepchild of an active or retired police officer, firefighter, EMT, paramedic, or 911 dispatcher.
- If you are the child of a deceased first responder, you must have been conceived prior to the death or total and permanent disability of that first responder.
- If you are an adopted child, the adoption process must have begun before you submit your scholarship application. If the eligible first responder is deceased or has total and permanent disability, the adoption process must have started before that death or disability occurred.
- If you are a stepchild, you must be listed as a dependent on the eligible first responder’s federal and state income tax returns. If the first responder is deceased or has total and permanent disability, you must have been listed as a dependent on the income tax returns in the years immediately prior to that death or disability.

Enrollment and academic standards
- You must be pursuing a degree or certificate (bachelor’s, associate’s, certificate program, graduate, or law) at an accredited college, university, or technical/vocational institution in the United States that participates in federal student aid programs.
- You must be enrolled full time for the entire academic year.
- You must have and maintain at least a 2.7 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or an equivalent of 80 on a 100-point scale), as documented by your institution’s Office of the Registrar.
- You must be making satisfactory academic progress toward completing your program, as defined by your school and documented by the institution.

Other requirements and disqualifications
- You must be a U.S. citizen or a U.S. permanent resident and attending school in the United States.
- Current officers and employees of the First Responders Children’s Foundation, and members of their immediate families, are not eligible to apply.
- Scholarship recipients must reapply each year to be considered for renewal.
- Recipients may receive scholarship support for a maximum of four years.

If you’re preparing an application, double-check documentation for family relationship, tax-dependency status (if applicable), proof of adoption timeline (if applicable), your full-time enrollment, GPA, and citizenship/permanent-resident status. If you have questions about any of the eligibility rules, contact the Foundation so we can help clarify.