CHICAGO, Ill. -- In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Kaplan College is showing its appreciation for the law enforcement community -- as well as its recognition that criminal justice professionals are in short supply and high demand -- with a new multimillion- dollar scholarship program. Kaplan College announced it has allotted up to $3 million in scholarships for professionals enrolling in its criminal justice programs, which include a bachelor's degree in management with a criminal justice administration emphasis, an associate of applied science in criminal justice, crime scene technician and terrorism and national security management certificates.

In order to qualify, applicants must be first-time enrollees at Kaplan College, commencing study in the January, April, July, or October quarterly start. For more information on these programs and scholarship opportunities please visit www.cjdegrees.com .

"This is our way of giving thanks to the law enforcement community, as well as addressing some real market needs. With the recent concerns over homeland security and the visible presence of law enforcement officers needed on the streets and in security positions, it is difficult for command officers to send their officers away for additional education," said Dr. Susan Craig, dean for the School of Criminal Justice at Kaplan College.

"In addition, there has been a steady rise in the demand for skilled recruits in defense programs at the national, state, and local levels. Our online criminal justice programs make quality education available to motivated individuals who want to advance their careers, and our scholarships provide the extra incentive to meet the demands for skilled recruits."

Statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor highlight an urgent need for criminal justice professionals, citing a 21 to 35 percent rise in employment opportunities for police officers, detectives, and corrections officers by the year . The demand for private security professionals is also expected to increase faster than the average for all other occupations by .

Reflecting these trends, enrollment numbers for Kaplan College's Criminal Justice program have steadily been on the rise. Since launching in April of this year, Kaplan College has seen enrollment rates skyrocket from an initial 13 students to over 300 -- a percent increase in just seven months.

Kaplan College (www.kaplancollege.edu ), located in Davenport, Iowa, offers degree, certificate and diploma programs in applied management, information technology, criminal justice and paralegal studies residentially and through online instruction. Kaplan College is part of Kaplan Higher Education, a division of Kaplan, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. Kaplan College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).

Note: Kaplan is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company.

Source: PRNewswire