Sheriff E.C. Harris and the staff of the Suffolk Sheriff’s Office recently announced the Virginia Sheriff’s Institute Scholarship applications are now available.

The Virginia Sheriff’s Institute Scholarship focuses on rewarding upstanding students that are Virginia-based criminal justice majors with scholarships.

The purpose of this scholarship is to aid in the education of full-time and part-time students majoring in criminal justice and law enforcement in Virginia.

“In order for the criminal justice system to grow and evolve, our future officers, agents and analysts should have every chance they can to further their education,” Sheriff E.C. Harris stated. “This scholarship will help aid students in their educational goals and dreams.”

The Virginia Sheriff’s Institute has detailed information about the scholarship qualifications and a checklist on their website: vasheriffsinstitute.org. The following items are just a few of the scholarship requirements:

• Letter of recommendation from the current sheriff of your city or county.
• Must be a criminal justice major — pre-law and law do not qualify
• Must be enrolled in a Virginia college or university
• Applications must be completed and signed online

For more detailed information about the application process, visit the Virginia Sheriff’s Institute’s website at vasheriffsinstitute.org. The application deadline is May 1.