Students who are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty while performing as a public safety officer are eligible to apply for the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship. Approved students will receive a maximum Federal Pell Grant for the award year for which the determination of eligibility is made. In addition, the student’s eligibility for Direct Loans and for Campus-Based program aid will be based on an Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) of zero.
Eligibility
Student must:
- Have a parent or guardian who died in the line of duty while performing as a public safety officer (listed below);
- The student must have been under 24 years of age or enrolled at a college/university at the time of the loss.
- Have a valid Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file;
- Be working toward his or her first bachelor's degree;
- Demonstrate exceptional financial need by having an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $5,576 or less;
- Be eligible for the Federal Pell Grant (Pell);
- Attend all courses in order to keep the grant. Failure to attend all courses could result in a reduction of Pell Grant funds;
- Be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP);
- Complete and submit the Children of Fallen Heroes Form;
- Submit supporting documentation (listed below).
Public Safety Officer Position:
- Law enforcement officers for a federal, state, county or city/town government
- Firefighters or chaplains employed by a fire department
- Employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) performing official or hazardous duties related to a major disaster or emergency
- Employees of a state, county or city/town government Emergency Management department performing official or hazardous duties related to a major disaster or emergency
- A fire police officer, defined as an individual who is serving in accordance with state or local law as an officially recognized or designated member of a legally organized public safety agency and provides scene security or directs traffic in response to any fire drill, fire call, or other fire, rescue, or police emergency, or at a planned special event.
Acceptable Supporting Documentation:
The student must provide at least one of the documents below. The student may be asked to provide more than one document upon review of the individual situation.
- Death certificate (if the certificate shows the profession and cause of death in the line of duty);
- A letter showing that the student qualifies for benefits under the Public Safety Officers Benefit (PSOB) program administered by the Department of Justice;
- A letter on official letterhead from the supervisor of the parent lost in the line of duty;
- A letter on official letterhead from the current head of the agency who employed the parent lost in the line of duty;
- A letter on official letterhead from the human resources department of the agency who employed the parent lost in the line of duty;
- Legal guardianship decree (if the fallen officer was a guardian and not a parent);
- Adoption paperwork (if the student was legally adopted).
Amount
Student will be eligible for the maximum Federal Pell Grant for the current aid year (must already be eligible for at least the minimum Pell Grant). Note: If the studentis already getting the maximum Pell award due to having an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of zero, there will be no change to their award amounts.
Notification and Disbursement
If eligible, Indiana State University will notify Pell-eligible students once per year that the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship is available. Student will only need to submit documentation once. Funds are applied directly to the student's account approximately nine days before the start of the applicable semester.