Public Safety Officers' Educational Assistance

 

The PSOEA Program, an expansion of the Federal Law Enforcement Dependents Assistance (FLEDA) Program, provides financial assistance for higher education to the spouses and children of public safety officers killed in line of duty. The PSOEA Program also makes assistance available to spouses and children of public safety officers permanently and totally disabled by catastrophic injuries sustained in the line of duty. Under the PSOEA Program, the families of state and local police, fire, and emergency public safety officers are covered for line-of-duty deaths that occurred on or after January 1, 1978. The families of federal law enforcement officers and firefighters are covered for line of duty deaths occurring on or after October 12, 1984. The effective date for families of permanently and totally disabled Federal law enforcement officers is October 3, 1996. Families of state, local, and tribal police, fire, and emergency public safety officers are covered for line-of-duty permanent and totally disabling injuries that occurred on or after November 13, 1998. Families of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) personnel and state, local, and tribal emergency management and civil defense agency employees are covered for such injuries sustained on or after October 30, 2000.

Active 16.615 Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice D - Direct Payments With Unrestricted Use Not applicable. Educational Assistance to Dependents of Civilian Federal Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Disabled in the Line of Duty, codified at 34 U.S.C. §§ 10301 – 10308 (as reclassified effective September 1, 2017), formerly classified to sections 3796d – 3796d-7 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Spouses and children who attend a program of education at an eligible institution and are the spouse and/or surviving children under the age of 27 of federal, state, and local public safety officers whose deaths or permanent and totally disabling injuries are covered by the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program (34 U.S.C. SSSS 10281-10288) are eligible for this program. The maximum age of eligibility for surviving children will be extended by the amount of time a claim for death, disability, or education benefits has been pending before the Bureau of Justice Assistance in excess of one year. A public safety officer is (A) an individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, as a firefighter, or as a chaplain; (B) an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who is performing official duties of the Agency in an area, if those official duties- (i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; and (ii) are determined by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be hazardous duties; (C) an employee of a State, local, or tribal emergency management or civil defense agency who is performing official duties in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in an area, if those official duties- (i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; and (ii) are determined by the head of the agency to be hazardous duties; or (D) a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew who, as authorized or licensed by law and by the applicable agency or entity, is engaging in rescue activity or in the provision of emergency medical services. . The spouse and surviving children of federal, state, and local public safety officers receive the ultimate benefits from this program. The children may receive benefits for classes taken before their 27th birthday. (The maximum age of eligibility for surviving children will be extended by the amount of time a claim for death, disability, or education benefits has been pending before the Bureau of Justice Assistance in excess of one year.) There is no age restriction for spouses. Documentation needed to apply online for assistance includes: the PSOEA Prescreen Application and Payment Application; educational transcripts; tuition/fees statements; acceptance letters to educational/professional institutions; schedule of classes; verification of full- or part-time status; and certification of other private educational assistance. Contact the PSOB office at 1-888-744-6513 or by e-mail at AskPSOB@usdoj.gov for full credential/documentation requirements. Preapplication coordination is required. Applicants may initiate an application by filing online at www.psob.gov, telephoning, or writing the PSOEA Program, PSOB Office, Bureau of Justice Assistance, 810 7th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20531, (1-888) 744-6513 or AskPSOB@usdoj.gov. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. The applicant must submit a fully executed application to the PSOEA Program, PSOB Office, Bureau of Justice Assistance, 810 7th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20531. For further information please visit the OJP BJA PSOB website at https://www.psob.gov/index.html. Upon a finding of eligibility by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, claimants are typically awarded funds for the current or upcoming term, and they may apply for the following term once the earlier term has been completed. Funds can also be received for multiple terms at one time if they have already been completed. Not applicable. Dependent upon validity of claim and submission of required documentation. Applicants may appeal within 30 days of denial notification. The appeal process consists of a record review by an independent hearing officer. Not applicable. Applications received by BJA are reviewed for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with all program requirements. Program funds are intended solely to defray eligible applicants' educational expenses, which may include tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other expenditures consistent with the educational, professional, or vocational objectives of the applicant. Funds are restricted to defray above costs only. Not applicable. Not applicable. None. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Assistance is available for the equivalent of 45 months of full-time assistance, or for a proportional period of time for a part-time program. Assistance is typically awarded in 4-month installments to coincide with the length of a school term. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Lump. None/Not specified. Hope Janke
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Assistance
810 7th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20531 US
AskPSOB@usdoj.gov
Phone: 1-888 744-6513 or (202) 616-6500 https://www.bja.gov/ProgramDetails.aspx?Program_ID=78 15-0403-0-1-754 (Direct Payments with Unrestricted Use) FY 18$4,745,613.00; FY 19 est $24,800,000.00; FY 20 est $24,800,000.00; FY 17$4,602,215.00; FY 16$4,000,000.00; - FY18 Disability and Educational funding obligated under CFDA 16.571 Public Safety Officers Death Mandatory Payments program totaled $19,779,716 For classes taken since October 1, 2019, the rates of assistance are $1224 per month for full-time students, $967 for three-quarter-time students, $710 for half-time students, and $306 for less-than-half-time students. The amount of assistance is subject to change consistent with the current computation of educational assistance allowance set forth in Title IV of the Higher Education Act, Section 3532 of Title 38, U.S.C. The Bureau of Justice Assistance's Public Safety Officers' Educational Assistance Program Fact Sheet (April 2011) at https://www.bja.gov/Publications/PSOB_FS.pdf. Not applicable.