As a result of Senate Bill 71 (Senate Bill 71 PDF and Senate Bill 71 Web), the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development implemented a scholarship to assist eligible public safety personnel and their dependent children pursuing a postsecondary degree or credential issued by a training entity accredited or certified pursuant to 190.131 or a qualifying postsecondary degree from a Missouri public or independent college or university.

Application Deadline 

The 2027-2028 application period is not yet open. The deadline to apply will be December 15, 2026. You must complete an application each year you are in school.

Am I eligible?

The scholarship helps cover the costs of tuition for public safety personnel with at least 6 years of service and the dependent* children of public safety personnel with at least 10 years of service. (*as defined by the U.S. Department of Education for purposes of the FAFSA, which means the public safety personnel must be listed as a contributor on the dependent child’s FAFSA)

Public Safety Personnel Definitions:

• Advanced emergency medical technician: Any person who has successfully completed a course of instruction in certain aspects of advanced life support care as prescribed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and is licensed by DHSS
• Emergency medical technician: Any person licensed in emergency medical care in accordance with sections190.001 to 190.245 of Missouri statutes, and by rules adopted by DHSS pursuant to sections190.001 to 190.245
• Firefighter: Any officer or employee of a fire department who is employed for the purpose of fighting fires, excluding volunteer firefighters and anyone employed in a    clerical or other capacity not involving fire-fighting duties
• Paramedic: Any person who has successfully completed a course of instruction in advanced life support care as prescribed by DHSS and is licensed by DHSS in accordance with sections 190.001 to 190.245 of Missouri statutes and rules adopted by DHSS pursuant to sections 190.001 to 190.245
• Police Officer: Any person who, by virtue of office or public employment, is vested by law with the power and duty to make arrests for violation of the laws of the state of Missouri or ordinances of any municipality thereof, while acting within the scope of his or her authority as an employee of a public law enforcement agency, as such term is defined in section 590.1040 of Missouri statutes
• Telecommunicator first responder: Any person employed as an emergency call taker or public safety dispatcher whose duties include receiving, processing or transmitting public safety information received through a 911 public safety answering point

Years of Service Definitions:

• Full-time and reserve service qualify when considering the 6- and 10-year service requirements; however, at the time of application and throughout the duration of the award, public safety personnel must be employed full-time in an eligible position to meet eligibility requirements.
• Service as a volunteer does NOT count towards the 6- and 10-year service requirements. 

Additionally, applicants must meet other eligibility requirements to qualify, including (but not limited to):

• Have not already earned a baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree
• Enroll in an approved institution or training program to pursue a qualifying postsecondary degree or credential
• Enroll in an eligible program depending on occupation
  • Eligible programs for police officers
  • Eligible programs for firefighters, paramedics, EMTs and Advanced EMTs
  • Eligible programs for telecommunicator first responders
  • Eligible programs for all dependents of a public safety personnel
• File a Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • Please note there are two different academic years available for the FAFSA. Select the academic year that corresponds to your Public Safety Recruitment and Retention scholarship application. For example, if you’re applying for the 2027-2028 academic year, you must complete the 2027-2028 FAFSA to be considered eligible.

How can I apply?

The 2027-2028 application will open in October, 2026. The application deadline for the 2027-28 academic year is December 15, 2026. You must complete an application each year you are in school. 

To apply, you must:

• Create an account and login to the State Financial Aid Portal
• Click on the "Estimate Eligibility" tab and select the academic year you would like to apply for
• Select "Apply" next to Public Safety Recruitment & Retention
• Complete the application and upload required documents:
  • Provide proof of residence of the public safety personnel in Missouri (e.g. current utility bill) 
  • Provide an employment verification form signed by the public safety personnel’s employer verifying they are currently employed full-time as public safety personnel and trained and authorized by law or rule to render emergency medical assistance or treatment
  • Provide one or more of the following:
    • EMT/Advanced EMT: A current, valid license issued by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services authorizing the public safety personnel to serve as an emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician, or paramedic
    • Firefighter: A valid certificate issued by the Missouri Division of Fire Safety (e.g. “Firefighter I” certification) 
    • Police Officer: A current, valid license issued by the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission authorizing the public safety personnel to serve as a peace officer pursuant to the provisions of Section 590 of Missouri statutes
    • Telecommunicator first responder: A current, valid certificate confirming successful completion of any ongoing training requirements pursuant to section 650.340 of Missouri statues
• For dependents, complete the self-certification form

How will I know if I'm eligible?

All communication regarding eligibility will be sent to the email address provided in your application. This includes incomplete notices, eligibility notices, and important disclosure documents for dependent students that must be returned to MDHEWD. Emails will come from mdhestudentportal@dhewd.mo.gov.

The department will notify applicants of their initial approval status no later than March 1. Initial approval means you have completed an application and provided the correct documents. Because scholarship funding is subject to appropriation, the department must wait until July to send final notice to applicants if they are selected to receive the scholarship. Your institution will then determine the remaining eligibility factors.

For public safety personnel:

• Enrolled in an eligible program of study
• Have not reached 120 credit hours

For dependents of public safety personnel:

• Enrolled in an eligible program of study
• The public safety personnel listed in the application is also listed as a contributor on the FAFSA
• Have not reached 120 credit hours

Additionally, dependents of public safety personnel must complete and return important documents to receive this scholarship. These approval disclosures and promissory notes are required due to the possibility of the scholarship becoming a loan if dependents do not comply with all the provisions in the “Will I have to pay back the scholarship?” section.

Is the scholarship limited to certain schools/providers?

Please see the list of approved institutions and training programs.

How much can I receive?

Subject to appropriation, the scholarship award will cover 100% of the eligible individual’s tuition and fees after subtracting any awarded federal and state non-loan aid.

The scholarship will not cover the costs of room, board, books, and any other educational materials, equipment, or supplies.

If an individual attends a private institution, the scholarship amount maximum will be equal to the total cost of tuition and mandatory fees for a Missouri resident at the public community college, state college, or state university with the highest combined tuition and mandatory fee cost in the state at the time the scholarship is awarded. If a private institution agrees to this scholarship payment, they will not charge the recipient of the scholarship any additional tuition.

If insufficient funds are appropriated, the department will establish a priority process consistent with the statutory requirements.

**Please note that the scholarship funding is subject to appropriation, so if no money is appropriated, the scholarship cannot be paid out.

How long can I receive an award?

Once you apply for and receive the scholarship and otherwise maintain eligibility for the program, they can continue to receive the scholarship for up to 4 additional consecutive years (for a total of 5 years) OR until the individual completes their degree, license or certificate, whichever comes first.

The five years of tuition award eligibility starts once you are approved for the award. You must continue to meet the eligibility requirements, including residency requirements and continued attendance requirements from the institution.

**Please note that the scholarship fund is subject to appropriation, so if no money is appropriated, the scholarship cannot be paid out.

Will I have to pay back the scholarship?

For public safety personnel utilizing this award for themselves, the scholarship does not have to be repaid. 

However, dependent children of public safety personnel must continue to comply with the following provisions to avoid this scholarship becoming a loan:

• Reside within the state of Missouri for a period of 5 years following the initial tuition award (OR until you complete your degree, license or certificate, whichever comes first)
• File a state income tax return and provide a copy to MDHEWD to provide proof of residency each year during the 5-year period following the initial tuition award
• If the dependent child fails to prove residency as required or meet other notification requirements regarding program completion, the tuition award will convert to a loan that must be repaid and subject to the following conditions:
  • Interest shall be charged on the unpaid balance of the amount received from the date the recipient ceases to reside in Missouri until the amount received is paid back to the state. The interest rate shall be adjusted annually and shall be equal to one percentage point over the prevailing United States prime rate in effect on January first of such year; and
  • Any residency, filing, or payment obligation incurred by the tuition award recipient is canceled in the event of the tuition award recipient's total and permanent disability or death

How do I renew my award?

• Complete a new application every year you wish to receive the award. (See “How can I apply?” above.)
• Continue to meet all initial eligibility criteria.
• Meet your institution’s satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy.
• Dependents of public safety personnel must complete and return all dependent disclosures by the stated deadlines.

How do I transfer my award?

If you choose to attend a different institution than is on your application, email mdhestudentportal@dhewd.mo.gov immediately or call (800) 473-6757, option 4.

What if my parent is killed in the line of duty?

In this situation, you can remain eligible if you can provide documentation verifying that your parent met the employment requirements of the scholarship at the time of their death and a statement/documentation that confirms they died in the line of duty.