Severo Perez Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Criminal Justice Educators of Texas

Introduction
The Criminal Justice Educators of Texas (CJET), an occupational group within TIVA, administers the Criminal Justice Educators of Texas – SEVERO PEREZ Scholarship. This award is intended for seniors who are enrolled in a Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security program at a Texas high school, who graduated from a Texas high school in 2023, and who intend to pursue a career in law enforcement or public safety. The applicant’s program advisor must be a current paid member of both Criminal Justice Educators of Texas and TIVA. The CJET Board of Directors determines the number and dollar amount of scholarships awarded.

Application access
The scholarship application is available on the TIVA site: https://www.acteonline.org/tiva/

Important deadlines and submission steps
- The completed application packet must be received by 5:00 PM on March 1, 2024.
- Fill out the PDF scholarship application, print it, assemble all required supporting documents, scan everything into a single PDF file, and email that file to [email protected].
- Name the file as follows: APPLICANT’S FIRST and LAST NAME - CJET SCHOLARSHIP (example: JOE SMITH – CJET SCHOLARSHIP).
- Do not leave any questions blank on the application; enter “N/A” if a question does not apply. Applications containing blank fields will not be reviewed.
- All required signatures and dates must be included on the application.

Required materials (to be combined into one scanned file)
1. Three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant’s moral character, community involvement, and leadership. None may be from family members. Specifically:
a. One letter must come from the applicant’s Law and Public Safety instructor who is a TIVA/CJET member.
b. One letter must come from a community member for whom the applicant has volunteered (this volunteer work must be outside of school/work internships, school organizations/CTSO’s, police explorer posts or agencies connected to those posts, Youth and Government, TXPSTA, TPSA, or other groups directly associated with the applicant’s high school). The recommender may not be employed by the applicant’s school district or be a family member.
c. One personal reference from someone who is not a school district employee, a family member, or a relative.
- All recommendation letters must be scanned and included within the single scholarship PDF file; do not send recommendation letters as separate emails.

2. Unofficial high school transcript showing all coursework from 9th grade through the 1st semester of 12th grade.

3. A college/university acceptance letter and proof of intent to attend the named institution.

4. A written essay, maximum 500 words, addressing the following prompt:
“Leadership through Servitude: How I will make a difference as a first responder today and an advocate for first responders.”

Selection and eligibility
- Recipients will be selected from applicants who can demonstrate acceptance to a college or university by supplying proof of admission.
- General eligibility: All graduating seniors who are currently enrolled in law and public safety coursework are eligible, regardless of race, religion, or gender, provided they submit a complete application. Applicants must have completed at least three Law and Public Safety courses and be currently enrolled in law and public safety classes.

Award disbursement
Scholarship funds will be issued either directly to the student’s school district or delivered in person by a CJET Board of Directors member; this ensures there is documentation of receipt. The total scholarship amount(s) available and individual award amounts will be determined by funds raised and allocated to the CJET/TIVA account for the 2023–2024 year.

Selection committee
The scholarship decisions will be made by a selection committee consisting of at least two to three members of the CJET/TIVA Board of Directors.