(Photo By Flickr User Inventorchris)

The Illinois Sheriff’s Association is awarding scholarships to students pursuing higher education within Illinois and the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office is distributing one of those $500 scholarships to a Peoria County student.

The only eligibility requirements are that the applicant must be a permanent Illinois resident, the money is to be utilized at a higher education institution within Illinois and the student must be enrolled full-time during the 2020-2021 school year, minus a summer semester.

Funds are intended to assist students with the cost of tuition, fees, and books.

Housing and other incurred expenses are not eligible, according to the application.

According to WEEK-TV, applications are available at the sheriff’s office, 301 Maxwell Road and at the county courthouse, Room B-20.

They are also available online at www.ilsheriff.org/youth-2/isaapplicationinfo/2020-2021-isa-college-scholarship-application/

Applications must be returned to the sheriff’s office and postmarked by March 15, 2020.

Those living in other counties can pick up an application at their local sheriff’s office.