Additional Funding for Graduates
Internal SJSU Funding
The Office of Graduate Studies configured a list of funding opportunities for graduate students that is updated regularly and should be checked often.
Some of the opportunities for graduate students include:
- Up to six $7,000 scholarships are awarded each year.
- Graduate students are awarded between $2,000 and $4,000 each year. The student must fulfill all of the eligibility requirements, such as completing a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or a California Dream Act application, and having a minimum financial need of $1,000.
Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholarship
- This CSU scholarship is for those undergraduate seniors and Masters students with aspirations to go to pursue a doctoral degree.
- Each College nominates a student for this award. This includes a cash prize as well as the prestige of having your work recognized.
San José State University's Financial Aid and Scholarship Office is available to assist you in applying for financial aid, and may be able to assist you in finding other sources of external funding.
External Funding
The Federal Student Loan Program helps students pay for their Justice Studies degrees through grants, work-study, or low-interest loans. To apply for aid, students must fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Completing FAFSA is free, simple, and fast. The government gives out a variety of student loans, including subsidized loans (meaning the government pays for some interest), unsubsidized loans, Perkins Loans, (for high-need students), and Direct PLUS Loans, which can be used to pay for expenses not covered by other aid.
Visit the FAFSA website for more information.
Several loan forgiveness plans exist to help Criminal Justice graduates, as well. With these plans, some or all debt is paid off, usually in exchange for a set amount of work or service.
Two of the most widely used loan forgiveness plans include:
NDSL/Perkins Loan Cancellation
- Full-time law enforcement or corrections officers can have up to 100% of their Federal Perkins Loans forgiven.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
- Full-time law enforcement officials may be eligible for this program, which forgives the remaining balance on direct loans after 120 payments if the borrower works for a qualified public service organization.
The American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA) funds annual scholarships for students pursuing degrees at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degree levels. Student-members of the ACJA are given priority consideration for scholarship awards. Successful candidates meet additional eligibility criteria which include outstanding academic performance and recommendations from faculty members.
