Scholarships, Assistantships, and Giving
Undergraduate Scholarships
Criminal Justice currently has four undergraduate scholarships available: the Suzanne Bailey Scholarship, The Leslie Vaughn Prater Memorial Scholarship, and the Doc Schettler Scholarship.
The Undergraduate Doc Schettler Scholarship
A maximum of $2000 a year awarded to an outstanding, full-time, Senior majoring in Criminal Justice. Criteria include, undergraduate GPA, purpose of pursing a criminal justice degree, and financial need. Preference will be given to students who intend to pursue a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at UTC. Award to be determined by Departmental Scholarship Committee.
Ann Schettler Worth established this scholarship in memory of her father, Clarence G. “Doc” Schettler who was a pharmacist who owned Schettler Drugs in Sweetwater, Tennessee, and was a great believer in education. He was one of seven children of German immigrants. At age eighteen, he became the youngest person to successfully complete the pharmacy qualifying examination. He served in the military in Europe during World War I, and upon his return attended the University of Tennessee. Doc was instrumental in establishing the National Guard unit in Sweetwater, and faithfully served his country during World War II. His commitment to education inspired his two daughters and all of his grandchildren to attend and graduate from college. Doc’s passing in 1981 was a great loss to his family, friends and community, but the fruits of his integrity, faithfulness, and commitment to education endure through his family and this scholarship program established in his memory.
The Undergraduate Suzanne Bailey Scholarship
A scholarship of approximately $600 will be awarded to a junior or senior in Criminal Justice who has demonstrated financial need and successful academic progress. A student who has held this scholarship in the previous year shall have preference in subsequent years.
This scholarship was set up in honor of Suzanne Bailey, Judge of Hamilton County Juvenile Court since 1990, by the Tennessee Juvenile Court Services Association, a professional association of Juvenile Court workers created in 1973 to serve the interest and needs of children across the state of Tennessee. Through this fund, the association, which provides a forum for the exchange of professional ideas through training of Juvenile Justice professionals, wishes to fund scholarships that will benefit worthy students in the field of Criminal Justice.
The Undergraduate Leslie Vaughn Prater Memorial Scholarship
A scholarship of approximately $500 will be awarded to a student majoring in Criminal Justice with at least 60 hours and a GPA of 2.75 or higher. Preference will be given to African-American students. A student who has held this scholarship in the previous year shall have preference in subsequent years. Applicants must write an essay on "I Believe in Justice for All."
Leslie Vaughn Prater was born on December 24, 1966 in Chattanooga, TN. He was the son of Dwight and Loretta and the brother of Stefan Prater. He was a graduate of Tyner High School, where he was selected as a Senior Superlative of his 1985 graduating class. He had a very charismatic personality and strong leadership qualities. During his teenage years, Leslie developed a strong interest in the arts, particularly painting and drawing. Leslie attended Tennessee State University and the Art Institute of Atlanta. While living in Atlanta, he held a position as an illustrator and Post Production Manager with Medical Legal illustrations. Eventually he returned to Chattanooga where he resided until his tragic and untimely death on January 2, 2004 at the age 37. Although his glowing smile and personality are no longer here to brighten the days of those who knew and loved him, his love of life and passion for helping people will live on through this scholarship. It is the family’s sincere hope that the recipients of this scholarship will embrace justice and embark on a successful professional career to ensure that justice is enjoyed by all.
The Undergraduate Dr. Victor Bumphus Memorial Scholarship
The Dr. Victor Bumphus Memorial Scholarship in accordance with University policy. Fifty percent of the award shall be designated for a junior or senior in the Criminal Justice undergraduate program who plans to enter the field of law enforcement or is currently employed as a member of law enforcement and has demonstrated successful academic progress. The remaining fifty percent of the award shall be designated for a graduate student in the Criminal Justice Master’s program who plans to enter the field of law enforcement or is currently employed as a member of law enforcement and has demonstrated successful academic progress. The scholarship shall be open to all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, disability, age, or veteran status, subject to the following criteria:
1. Applicants must be currently enrolled at or admitted to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
2. Additional preferences are as follows:
a. Applicants must be pursuing an undergraduate/graduate degree in Criminal Justice.
b. Applicants must hold current status in good standing.
c. Applicants must demonstrate successful academic performance.
d. A student holding the The Dr. Victor Bumphus Memorial Scholarship in one year shall have preference in subsequent years.
e. Financial need may be considered.
The Foundation will determine how and how much of the annual earnings will be awarded based on the University’s spending policy.
Graduate Scholarships and Assistantships
Criminal Justice has two types of graduate awards:
Scholarships and Assistantships. There also are other scholarships and assistantships available through the Graduate School as well as information about tuition, fees, and student loans. Visit their website for more information.
The Graduate Doc Schettler Scholarship
Ann Schettler Worth established this scholarship in memory of her father, Clarence G. “Doc” Schettler who was a pharmacist who owned Schettler Drugs in Sweetwater, Tennessee, and was a great believer in education. He was one of seven children of German immigrants. At age eighteen, he became the youngest person to successfully complete the pharmacy qualifying examination. He served in the military in Europe during World War I, and upon his return attended the University of Tennessee. Doc was instrumental in establishing the National Guard unit in Sweetwater, and faithfully served his country during World War II. His commitment to education inspired his two daughters and all of his grandchildren to attend and graduate from college. Doc’s passing in 1981 was a great loss to his family, friends and community, but the fruits of his integrity, faithfulness, and commitment to education endure through his family and this scholarship program established in his memory.
This award has a maximum award of $3000 annually. It is given to a graduate student who has been accepted by the Graduate School unconditionally. The student must submit a departmental application. Scholarship renewal for a second year (only) is based on satisfactory progress toward degree completion. Preference will be given to students with a minimum undergraduate and/or a Graduate GPA of 3.0. Award to be determined by Departmental Scholarship Committee. Click here to download an application form. Scholarships are awarded each Spring for the following academic year. You may email the application or mail a hard copy. The deadline for Fall scholarships is March 1 (or the first Monday after for weekend dates) each year.
The Graduate Dr. Victor Bumphus Memorial Scholarship
The Dr. Victor Bumphus Memorial Scholarship in accordance with University policy. Fifty percent of the award shall be designated for a junior or senior in the Criminal Justice undergraduate program who plans to enter the field of law enforcement or is currently employed as a member of law enforcement and has demonstrated successful academic progress. The remaining fifty percent of the award shall be designated for a graduate student in the Criminal Justice Master’s program who plans to enter the field of law enforcement or is currently employed as a member of law enforcement and has demonstrated successful academic progress. The scholarship shall be open to all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, disability, age, or veteran status, subject to the following criteria:
1. Applicants must be currently enrolled at or admitted to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
2. Additional preferences are as follows:
a. Applicants must be pursuing an undergraduate/graduate degree in Criminal Justice.
b. Applicants must hold current status in good standing.
c. Applicants must demonstrate successful academic performance.
d. A student holding the The Dr. Victor Bumphus Memorial Scholarship in one year shall have preference in subsequent years.
e. Financial need may be considered.
The Foundation will determine how and how much of the annual earnings will be awarded based on the University’s spending policy.
Graduate Assistantships
The Department has full time assistantships available through the Graduate School. Full-time awards include a stipend and full tuition waiver each semester. Recipients work in the Department twenty hours per week.
Graduate Assistantships consist of a monetary stipend plus a tuition and fee waiver. Assistantships facilitate graduate students in the prompt and successful completion of an advanced degree program and to provide work experience in a setting under the supervision of a faculty or administrative mentor. Duties may include assisting with undergraduate courses (i.e. proctor exams, record grades), library research, preparation of reports, gathering, organizing and analyzing data. Some assistants may be allowed to teach undergraduate courses in their second year of the program.
There are a limited number of these full and part-time merit-based assistantships and they are awarded on a competitive basis. The priority deadline for applying for a graduate assistantship is February 15, although in some instances awards may be awarded even if the deadline was missed (depending upon availability).
To be eligible for a graduate assistantship, a student must be fully admitted to the Criminal Justice program and be in good academic standing. To be awarded a full (versus part time) graduate assistantship, the student must be enrolled as a full-time graduate student taking at least nine semester hours of graduate course work. Full time assistants are assigned to work 20 hours per week. Part-time awards are sometimes available. In this case, students also can take up to nine-semester hours, but will receive only 6 hours of tuition remission and will be assigned to work 10 hours per week. Assistants usually are eligible for renewal for the second year upon successful progress and performance the first year. All students must maintain a 3.25 cumulative grade point average on all graduate courses taken at UTC to retain the assistantship.
For more information about applications, deadlines and other requirements, visit the Graduate School page.
Criminal Justice Gift and Scholarship Fund
Click here to make a difference.