Higher Education - Scholarships for Correctional Officers

SB 690 expands Maryland's existing scholarship program for public safety workers to include correctional officers. It modifies eligibility criteria to cover both current correctional officers pursuing degrees and students training to become correctional officers. The bill allocates $2.5 million annually for scholarships for students preparing for correctional officer careers and another $2.5 million for current officers seeking further education. To qualify, recipients must be Maryland residents or graduates, enroll in eligible programs, and agree to work as correctional officers for at least 5 years after graduation. The program requires repayment if these service obligations aren't met.