Orlando Police Foundation creates $75K endowment for UCF undergrads on ‘Day of Giving’
University of Central Florida criminal justice and legal studies students will be able to receive new annual scholarships as part of a $75,000 endowment announced Thursday by Orlando police Chief Eric Smith.
The endowment, donated by the Orlando Police Foundation on UCF’s “Day of Giving,” will fund $1,500 scholarships annually to two undergraduate students of both majors.
Smith, who graduated from UCF in 1993 before embarking on a 28-year career at the Orlando Police Department, said the money is aimed at helping students complete their programs and, hopefully, to boost recruitment efforts at the department and other local agencies.
“We have a lot of UCF alumni that work for us throughout the whole department. From our communications to our police officers to our analysts, we are well-represented by UCF graduates,” Smith said. “It’s one of the biggest places we recruit from … this is just another link in that chain in trying to get more people to come to OPD and work for us.”
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Criminal justice degrees are among the top 15 majors pursued by UCF students in the 2023-2024 school year, according to university figures, with many going on to jobs in public safety and law, among others. Institutions catering to such students, like OPD and Orange County courthouse, are located in downtown Orlando, including UCF’s legal studies program housed in its downtown campus.
Grant Hayes, dean of UCF’s College of Community Innovation and Education, thanked Smith and the foundation for the endowment and their “commitment to supporting the success of our students.”
“This endowed scholarship,” he said, “will help students expand their talents, their identity and to pursue careers that really impact the community and pave the way for more UCF students to unleash their potential to serve their communities.”
