Hilbert College Launches First Responder Scholarship

HAMBURG, NY — Hilbert College has launched the First Responder Scholarship, a new tuition award for active law enforcement officers, corrections professionals, EMTs, firefighters, paramedics, and dispatchers pursuing a bachelors or masters degree at Hilbert College Global.

The scholarship reduces tuition by 20% on eligible coursework and stays with a student even if they move between eligible programs, including the Master of Public Administration (MPA), Criminal Justice Administration (MS), Cybersecurity Technology (MS), Criminal Justice (BS), and Cybersecurity (BS).

First responders often work nights, weekends, and holidays, a schedule that can make earning a degree difficult. Hilbert Global’s programs are designed to work around that schedule, offered online and in flexible formats so coursework can be completed around a shift rather than a traditional class calendar.

“Through this scholarship, Hilbert College is meeting our friends in the first responder community where they actually are, working full time, doing a hard job, and also trying to build something better for themselves. At Hilbert College, we pride ourselves in doing the next right thing, and this scholarship is the next right thing for those who serve the needs of our community,” said Michael R. Cornell, President of Hilbert College.

For many first responders, a degree is the difference between staying in a current role and moving into leadership. Our MPA leads toward administrative and command positions; Criminal Justice Administration and the MS in Cybersecurity lead toward specialized units and investigative work.

Hilbert has built one of the region’s strongest criminal justice programs since its founding in 1957 in Hamburg, NY. Graduates have gone on to serve in departments across Erie County and beyond, and the college’s Criminal Justice Administration and forensic science programs remain among its most recognized in Western New York. The First Responder Scholarship extends that legacy directly to the people already doing the work.

“The values of Hilbert have always led us to serving this community, and to standing with those who serve others. We are proud to offer this scholarship so that our friends in the first responder community can expand their impact on their friends and neighbors” said Cornell.