The Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA) is currently accepting scholarship applications from children of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services employees now through March 31, 2019. Scholarship amounts offered are $1,500 for undergraduate students, $1,500 for graduate students, and $750 for individuals who in a prior year had received either a $1,000 or $1,500 scholarship.

Since 2004, the ASCA has offered scholarships to children of correctional services employees across the nation. The Susan M. Hunter Correctional Scholarship is named in honor of Susan Hunter, former Chief of the Prisons Division at the National Institute of Corrections, as a lasting tribute to her commitment to the field of corrections. Susan was 58 when she passed away March 14, 2004.

In 2018, ASCA awarded 25 new scholarships and renewed 28 nationwide. The Association received 687 applications that met all the requirements. Of those, only 12 applications came from students whose parent worked for NDCS. Typically, one scholarship is awarded to each participating state.

Sarah Bos, daughter of Human Resources Manager Linda Bos, was a 2017 Nebraska recipient. Since then, Sarah successfully renewed the scholarship in 2018 and anticipates another renewal this year.

Bos commends the scholarship for its simplicity, “They send the money directly to the student, not the school, and the student can decide how best to spend it.”

ASCA Project Manager Jill Stewart shared, “This is a great opportunity for youth. I know how hard their parents work and it can be a thankless job. This is our attempt to give back to those parents.”

To be considered, students should go to the ASCA website at http://asca.net/susan-m-hunter-scholarship for applications and FAQs.

Eligibility Requirements for the Susan M. Hunter Correctional Scholarship:

- Students must be the son or daughter of a corrections employee (current full-time, retired, or deceased) within any ASCA member department of corrections. Vendor employees, correctional employees, their siblings, spouses, and grandchildren are not eligible.

- Incoming first-time freshmen, along with enrolled full-time college and graduate students, must have a minimum high school GPA of 3.3. Undergraduate students may be working toward a degree in any area of study, while graduate students’ field of study must be in Corrections/Criminal Justice.

- Students must be enrolled full-time in an accredited two-year or four-year college or university, or an accredited graduate program.

Scholarship applications (and all required documentation) are due to the ASCA office by March 31, 2019. The Scholarship Review Committee will make its decisions in June 2019.

Any questions can be directed to asca.scholarship@gmail.com.