Law Enforcement Child Eligibility
We will begin accepting applications on 7/1/2026.

Apply For Educational Programs

Thank you for your interest in the GI College Success Academy Program.  The application process is quick and easy and usually takes less than 10 minutes.

This page contains information about the application process, eligibility, and required documentation. The application includes three (3) sections… parent information, student information, and a section where you will upload the required documentation.  Either the student or their parent may complete the application on behalf of their family.

Before you begin, please review the information below to confirm your eligibility and to help you gather the required documentation. We encourage you to complete your application in one sitting however you do have the ability to save your work and complete it later.

We look forward to receiving your completed application!

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Law Enforcement Child Eligibility
We are no longer accepting application from high school seniors (class of 2025).

Apply For Educational Programs

Thank you for your interest in the GI College Success Academy Program.  The application process is quick and easy and usually takes less than 15 minutes.

This page contains information about the application process, eligibility, and required documentation. The application includes three (3) sections… parent information, student information, and a section where you will upload the required documentation.  Either the student or their parent may complete the application on behalf of their family.

Before you begin, please review the information below to confirm your eligibility and to help you gather the required documentation. We encourage you to complete your application in one sitting however you do have the ability to save your work and complete it later.

We look forward to receiving your completed application!

START OR COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATIONSTART OR COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION

WHO QUALIFIES

CHILDREN IN GRADES 8 -12 WHO HAVE A PARENT THAT MEETS ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA…

A law enforcement officer or correctional officer who was killed in the line of duty or died by suicide.

Line of Duty Death is defined as any law enforcement officer who has... (Read More)

Line of Duty Death

Line of Duty Death is defined as any law enforcement officer who has died as a direct and proximate result of a personal injury sustained in the line of duty. This includes law enforcement officers who, while in an off-duty capacity, act in direct response to an emergency-situation involving the public or a violation of the law.

A law enforcement officer or correctional officer who was seriously injured in the line of duty.

Seriously Injured in Line of Duty is defined as a law enforcement officer who has been seriously... (Read More)

Seriously Injured in Line of Duty

Seriously Injured in the Line of Duty is defined as a law enforcement officer who has been seriously injured as a direct and proximate result of a personal injury from a risk that the public is not exposed to and was sustained in the line of duty. The serious injury resulted in the officer requiring treatment at an emergency medical facility, being admitted to a hospital for extended care, and either 1) resulted in the officer not being able to return to work for a significant period of time or 2) resulted in the officer not being able to return to work in the same job capacity. This includes law enforcement officers who, while in an off-duty capacity, act in direct response to an emergency situation involving the public or a violation of the law.

Definition of a Law Enforcement Officer (Read)

Definition of a Law Enforcement Officer

A law enforcement officer is defined as any marshal, police officer, deputy sheriff, agent, or employee of any other title employed by a municipal, city, county, state, or federal agency and has powers of arrest. Any employee of a public authority, railroad, private institution of higher education, or otherwise holds a police commission from a state is considered a law enforcement officer. Volunteer/Auxiliary officers/deputies who are granted powers of arrest while on duty are also considered law enforcement officers.

Definition of a Correctional or Detention Officer (Read)

Definition of a Correctional or Detention Officer

Correctional or detention officers are defined as officers who are employed as correctional or detention officers by any city, county, regional, state, or federal jail or corrections department are considered law enforcement officers for purposes of being honored on the ODMP, even if they do not have power of arrest outside the confines of the facility to which they are employed. The officer in question must be employed in a position that gives him/her primary or limited responsibility for the custody and security of suspected or convicted criminal offenders. If custody and security of suspected or convicted criminal offenders is not a person’s primary function (e.g., correctional employee such as Maintenance Supervisor, Farm Manager, Food Service Instructor, etc.), then that person must be engaged in custody and security duties when their fatal injury is sustained.

Parents or their students applying acknowledge that submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance into Gratitude Initiative’s (GI) education programs. Qualified candidates are selected based on multiple factors including, but not limited to family situation, strength and thoroughness of the application, and the ability of a student to benefit from the program. The number of students selected for the program each year is based on the number of applications received and availability of program funding allocated for new enrollees. Application packets that are not complete or missing the required documentation will not be reviewed. Applicants who do not meet the qualification criteria based on their parent’s law enforcement service will not be considered for the programs. GI reserves the right to request additional information regarding a law enforcement line of duty death, a line of duty serious injury, or a student’s eligibility for its programs. GI’s application review committee has sole discretion to determine eligibility based on the information submitted and to accept or deny any application.

Required Documents

Qualifying Event Documentation

Line of Duty Death:

  • If the deceased officer is listed on the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP.org) no other documentation is required when completing the application. If not, written documentation from the agency where the deceased officer was employed at the time of death confirming that a line-of-duty death has occurred that the deceased officer has dependents. (Ex. Incident report (with narrative), Agency Report, etc.)

Seriously Injured in Line of Duty

  • Written documentation from the agency where the injured officer was employed at the time of injury confirming that the officer’s injury occurred during the line of duty.

Proof of Dependency

(Birth certificate, adoption decree, or tax return)

  • The applicant must be the child of a law enforcement officer (biological, adopted, or stepchild).
  • An applicant who is a stepchild must have been listed as a dependent on the eligible law enforcement officer’s federal and state income tax returns in the income tax year immediately prior to the officer’s death or serious injury.

Student Grade Report

  • Submit a copy of a recent school grade report for your student – to be used by our Advisors during their guidance process.
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