Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe announced Tuesday that the Missouri Blue Scholarship program for law enforcement academy recruits will now offer a maximum award of $6,000, an increase from the previous $5,000 cap. The change was made possible by a $1 million funding increase in the Fiscal Year 2026 state budget, bringing total funding for the scholarship program to $3 million.
Since its inception in October 2022 through June 2025, the Missouri Blue Scholarship has awarded approximately $4.49 million to 995 recruits. The program aims to make law enforcement training more accessible to aspiring officers and strengthen the ranks of licensed peace officers across the state.
“The Missouri Blue Scholarship Program has made law enforcement training more accessible to Missourians interested in joining the profession and helped bolster the number of licensed peace officers in Missouri,” Kehoe said. “We appreciate the General Assembly approving our administration’s recommended $1 million increase in the scholarship fund. This increased investment allows the Missouri Department of Public Safety to raise the maximum scholarship award and make the scholarship available to more recruits who want to join the ranks of law enforcement and serve their communities.”
In Fiscal Year 2025, the Department of Public Safety awarded $1,917,942 in scholarship funds to 420 recruits. The latest budget, effective July 1, increases total funding for the program from $2 million to $3 million.
The Missouri Blue Scholarship specifically benefits recruits attending academies not affiliated with agencies that pay salaries or cover training costs. While agencies such as the Missouri State Highway Patrol and St. Louis Metropolitan Police operate their own academies and fund training, many sheriff’s offices and smaller police departments rely on non-sponsored recruits—individuals who pay for their own training without agency financial support.
Law enforcement academy tuition in Missouri can reach as high as $11,725, and the scholarship helps offset that cost. By reducing the financial burden, the program expands the pool of applicants and encourages more recruits to remain in law enforcement after graduation, without carrying student debt.
“Given the price of attending some of Missouri’s law enforcement academies and the shortage of officers around the state, raising the maximum scholarship amount to $6,000 is another way we can support recruitment efforts and will further allow DPS to provide scholarships to qualifying academy recruits this fiscal year,” said Missouri Department of Public Safety Director Mark James.
The program has already demonstrated measurable impact. From 2020 to 2022—prior to the scholarship’s availability—an average of 1,025 peace officers were licensed annually. That number rose to 1,050 in 2023, the year the scholarship was introduced, and to 1,099 in 2024.
As of June 30, 2025, several Missouri law enforcement agencies reported notable representation of Missouri Blue Scholarship recipients among their commissioned officers:
Camden County Sheriff’s Office: 11 recipients out of 81 total officers
Fulton Police Department: 10 recipients out of 25 total officers
Henry County Sheriff’s Office: 9 recipients out of 29 total officers
University City Police Department: 9 recipients out of 62 total officers
The Missouri Department of Public Safety oversees the scholarship program. Recruits interested in applying can do so here. Future award amounts will be subject to state budget appropriations.
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