The Suffolk Sheriff’s Office is currently accepting applications for the Virginia Sheriff’s Scholarship Program.

Applications must be Suffolk residents majoring in criminal justice or law enforcement at a Virginia college or university.

Sheriff Raleigh H. Isaacs Sr. will meet with each applicant. He then will attach a letter of recommendation to each application and return them to the Virginia Sheriff’s Institute for final judging.

Winners will be announced at the end of May, and all scholarship checks will be mailed to the sheriff’s office for distribution. Checks will be made payable to the educational institution on the application. All applicants will receive a letter regarding their application.

The scholarship funds provided for this program are made available through the Virginia Sheriff’s Institute and the citizen/business individual memberships in the Virginia Sheriff’s Institute. A portion of all funds collected from Suffolk is returned in the form of scholarship awards to students majoring in law enforcement or criminal justice.

The Suffolk Sheriff’s Office participation in the Virginia Sheriff’s Institute Scholarship Program was initiated by Isaacs in 1994. About 63 scholarships totaling $47,300 have been awarded to local students.

Application forms are available at the Suffolk Sheriff’s Office, inside the Mills E. Godwin Jr. Courts Building, 150 N. Main St., Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Applications must be returned to the sheriff’s office by 5 p.m. April 15.