CU-Mansfield Municipal Police Academy guarantees $2,500 scholarship for all cadets

Scholarship makes Mansfield’s Academy tuition the most affordable in the Commonwealth

MANSFIELD, Pa. – The Mansfield University Act 120 Municipal Police Academy will now guarantee a minimum scholarship of $2,500 to every cadet thanks to external funding provided to the MU Public Safety Training Institute (MUPSTI).

The Municipal Police Academy is a 26-week course required to become a municipal police officer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Established in 1977, Mansfield University’s Academy is one of only 16 municipal police academies across Pennsylvania certified by the Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission (MPOETC).

Applications are currently being accepted for the next full-time class, which begins on May 23, 2022.

“Mansfield University’s Municipal Police Academy has gained a reputation across the Commonwealth as a center of top-notch, innovative training for officers who serve our communities,” said Dr. Bashar Hanna, interim president of Mansfield University. “By significantly lowering the cost of attendance to cadets training at the Academy, a critical workforce need is now more accessible to individuals interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement.”

Tuition for the Academy is now $3,000 per cadet after the guaranteed minimum $2,500 scholarship from MUPSTI is applied. On-campus housing and meal plans are available for an additional cost.

Additional scholarship opportunities are available to reduce the cost of attendance for cadets.

“The Mansfield University Public Safety Training Institute will provide financial assistance to every cadet, making it the most affordable option to earn the Act 120 Municipal Police certification in the Commonwealth,” explained MUPSTI Director Scott Henry. “It is our hope that these scholarships will attract additional high-character individuals interested in the policing profession who will fill the many vacancies the Commonwealth is experiencing among its police ranks.”

Because of the MU Police Academy’s exceptional reputation and its network of partners, graduates of Mansfield’s Academy enjoy a 95% job placement rate upon completion of the program. Academy graduates consistently rank among the top in Pennsylvania police academies in GPA and state certification examination scores. These scores, combined with the many certifications and micro-credentials that a MU Police Academy graduate receives, provide the foundation that law enforcement agencies seek and desire.

The Police Academy is located at Mansfield University’s Doane Center, which features a dedicated classroom and virtual reality training room. Mansfield was the first academy in the Commonwealth to include state-of-the-art virtual reality training for cadets. The immersive VR experience allows cadets to take the knowledge learned in the classroom and immediately apply it to a variety of life-like scenarios.

The Academy instructor cadre includes active and retired Pennsylvania State Police and municipal police, attorneys, educators, Magistrates, and a Common Pleas Judge.

The Mansfield University Police Academy is part of the MU Public Safety Training Institute (MUPSTI), a regional training center providing initial and continuing professional education for criminal justice practitioners, first responders, public safety professionals, and the public.

Through MUPSTI, cadets have the opportunity to gain more than 100 additional hours of training and certification during the academy training period at no additional cost, including the University’s nationally certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course.

Learn more about the MU Municipal Police Academy at mansfield.edu/police-academy. Anyone who would like to be considered for acceptance into the Academy should complete the Statement of Interest form found on the Academy webpage.