The NLEAFCF Foundation is proud to announce the Vincent Bennett, Jr. memorial scholarship in memory of Vincent Bennett, who passed away suddenly on September 19, 2013. The Vincent Bennett, Jr. memorial scholarship is awarded annually to an incoming freshman who is the child of a law enforcement officer or firefighter who was killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty.The NLEAFCFis dedicated to helping children of law enforcement and firefighting personnel. The winners of the memorial scholarship program will get a $20,000 award over a four year period ($5,000 per year).

NLEAFCF – National Law Enforcement and Firefighters Children’s Foundation committed to providing long-term support to ensure the needs of these children are met during not only at the initial time of crisis, but into the future. The foundation promotes and facilitates educational activities and programs created and operated by law enforcement and firefighting organizations whose purpose is to benefit the children in their communities.

Eligibility

To eligible the applicant must meet the entire following requirement:

• Applicants must be dependent children, stepchildren or legally adopted children of an eligible law enforcement officer or firefighter who was killed or totally and permanently disabled in the line of duty.
• The applicant must have been conceived prior to the death or total and permanent disability of the eligible officer or firefighter.
• An applicant who is an adopted child must have been adopted by the eligible officer or firefighter prior to, or the adoption process must have begun prior to, the date of the death or total and permanent disability.
• An applicant who is a stepchild must have been listed as a dependent on the eligible officer or firefighter’s federal and state income tax returns in the income tax years immediately prior to the death or total and permanent disability.
• Candidates must be pursuing their first Bachelor’s degree, Associate’s degree, or Certificate at any accredited college, university or technical/vocational institution in the United States that participates in the federal financial aid programs offered through the U.S. Department of Education.
• Candidate must be enrolled as a full-time student during the entire academic year.
• Candidate must maintain a 2.7 out of a 0-grade point average, or the equivalent as documented by the Office of the Registrar at the academic institution.
• Candidate must be making satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of their program as defined and documented by the academic institution.
• Candidate must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States attending school in the United States.
• Current NLEAFCF officers and employees, and members of their immediate families are not eligible to apply.

How to Apply

To apply for the scholarship, the applicant can download, print, and complete the application form. The link is:http://nleafcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2016-application-form-all-scholarships.pdf

Required Documents

First-time candidates must submit the following items:

• Academic transcript including cumulative GPA through the spring semester of the current/just-completed academic year.
• Proof of full-time enrollment for the upcoming fall semester.
• Evidence of honors, leadership position, volunteer activities and other achievements.
• Personal essay, not exceeding 700 words, summarizing personal and professional achievements and career goals.
• Proof of US citizenship or permanent residency (i.e. birth certificate, naturalization papers or valid US passport)
• Documentation verifying you- are the child of the deceased or disabled law enforcement officer or firefighter.
• Written notification from the Chief Executive Officer of the involved agency confirming the line of duty death or total and permanent disability.
• In the case of permanent disability, the applicant must provide a physician’s certification of the “total and permanent disability.” The physician must be a doctor of medicine who is legally authorized to practice in the United States.
• Letters of recommendation from three (3) individuals excluding family members, including one academic reference, one personal reference and one reference from the related law enforcement officer’s or firefighter’s employer.
• A copy of candidate’s completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• A copy of candidate’s Student Aid Report (SAR).
• A copy of candidate’s upcoming Fall Tuition Bill and Financial Aid Award letter from the enrolled school.

Continuing award recipients must submit the following items to maintain eligibility:

• Documentation that applicant is making satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of their degree as defined and documented by the academic institution.
• Most recent transcript.
• Proof of full-time enrollment for the fall semester.
• Personal essay, not exceeding 700 words, summarizing the importance of this scholarship toward achieving your academic goals and your achievements and accomplishments since your last NLEAFCF scholarship award.

Submitting Details

Mail submission packet to:

National Law Enforcement & Firefighters Children’s Foundation
ATTN: Scholarship Committee
928 Broadway Suite 703
New York, NY 10010

Scholarship Value

• The scholarship is a $20,000 award over a four year period ($5,000 per year). The awardee must maintain all academic eligibility requirements during the four years of the award.
• Annual awards will be sent directly to the appropriate office of the recipient’s school by way of a check made payable to the school on behalf of the scholarship recipient.
• The annual award will be distributed in two (2) equal payments – one for the fall semester and one for the spring semester.

Application Deadline

The submission deadline for 2017-2018 scholarship awards will be July 1, 2017.

More Info

http://nleafcf.org/scholarships/vincent-bennett-jr-memorial-scholarship/

Contact Information

For any questions contact to Sarahbeth Grossman by call 646-822-4236or email at nleafcf-at-nleafcf.org