The following was provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.

The Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association (MSA) will soon award up to 15 students with $600 scholarships. In order to be considered for this scholarship, students must first compete for a nomination from their county's sheriff's office.

For students who live in Hennepin County, Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek is now accepting applications for consideration. Under guidelines from the MSA, Sheriff Stanek may select three worthy students from the pool of candidates who submit applications in Hennepin County.

Sheriff Stanek then advances his top three selections onto a Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association committee. The committee will select the winners from a statewide pool of applicants. The members of MSA gives special recognition to the financial needs of students attending the peace officer skills course, or one of the two or four year law enforcement degree colleges. 

In order to begin the process to compete for a scholarship, here are the requirements: Scholarships are only available to students currently enrolled in one of the following three categories:

1. Mandated post skills program
2. In their second year of a two-year enforcement program
3. In their third or fourth year of a four-year college criminal justice course

To be consideredm fill out an "MSA scholarship application" available online at www.mnsheriffs.org. Applications are also available at the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Room 6, Courthouse, Minneapolis, MN 55415. 

Send the application via U.S. Mail or drop it off at: The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, Room 6, Courthouse, Minneapolis, MN 55415. Mark your envelope with "Attention: MSA Scholarship Nomination Request." 

E-mail applications will not be accepted.

Deadline for the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office to receive applications is October 15, 2012.  After considering the applications received, the Sheriff will select three applications to forward onto the MSA. The winning recipients will be notified in December of 2012.