St. Paul, MN - Today, a bipartisan coalition of legislators from the Minnesota House and Senate introduced HF 2454/SF 2931, the Law Enforcement Scholarship Act. The legislation establishes a scholarship program for law enforcement officers and their dependents. The program would offer scholarships that cover a semester’s tuition when studying criminal justice, law enforcement, or a related field.
After a press conference, the bill was then heard in the House Higher Education Committee, where it was laid over for possible inclusion in the committee’s budget. More information can be found on the committee’s webpage.
“Minnesota is facing a law enforcement workforce shortage that threatens the safety and security of our communities,” said Rep. Dan Wolgamott (DFL - St. Cloud), the House author of the bill and DFL Co-Chair of the House Higher Education Committee. “Now is the time to pass the Law Enforcement Scholarship Act to attract new officers to come to our state, retain current officers, and educate the next generation of law enforcement.”
Law enforcement agencies across the state are facing staffing shortages, with over 1,000 positions open for police officers alone. Currently, there are approximately 2,700 police officers between ages 50-55 that are eligible to retire. Last year, Alexandria Technical College noted that after 2021, they saw a 30-25% decrease in enrollment in their Police Academy.
“We need to recruit and retain more police officers, and this bill is part of a solution,” said Officer Mark Ross, President of the St. Paul Police Federation and Board Member of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, the largest public safety organization in Minnesota. “For statewide staffing, we are down a thousand officers - about 10% - with many retirements nearing. The benefits provided by this program could go a long way in keeping and filling our ranks.”
The legislation establishes a law enforcement grant program to cover the cost of tuition and fees at Minnesota’s public postsecondary educational institutions for eligible students. This is a last dollar scholarship that is awarded for the remaining amount of tuition and mandatory fees after all other gift aid is deducted. Scholarships are for one semester and can be renewed if the student continues to meet eligibility requirements.
Alongside Rep. Wolgamott, the bill was also introduced by Sen. Judy Seeberger (DFL - Afton) the Senate author, Rep. Bernie Perryman (R - St. Augusta) a House co-author, and Sen. Zach Duckworth (R - Lakeville) a Senate co-author. Video of today’s press conference and committee hearing can be found on the House Public Information YouTube channel.
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