MENU TITLE: Federal Law Enforcement Dependents Assistance.
Program  Series: NIJ Fact Sheet
Published: May 1997
3 pages
4,858 bytes

U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Assistance

BJA
Bureau of Justice Assistance
Fact Sheet

Nancy E. Gist, Director


Federal Law Enforcement Dependents Assistance
Program 


The Federal Law Enforcement Dependents Assistance
(FLEDA) Act (42 U.S.C. 3796d) was enacted in
October 1996 to enhance the appeal of service in
civilian Federal law enforcement agencies by
providing financial assistance for higher education
to the spouses and children of Federal law
enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
The FLEDA Act also makes this assistance available
to the spouses and children of Federal law
enforcement officers permanently and totally
disabled by catastrophic injuries sustained in the
line of duty.

Background

Many States provide higher education benefits for
the families of State and local law enforcement
officers killed in the line of duty. By enacting
the FLEDA Act, Congress and the President have
extended educational assistance to the families of
Federal law enforcement officers. In so doing, a
significant statement is being made about how vital
Federal law enforcement officers are to our
Nation's public safety. 

The FLEDA Act recognizes that benefits available to
these families through the Public Safety Officers'
Benefits (PSOB) Program, administered by the Bureau
of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice,
are often consumed by basic needs and are not
sufficient to support costs of higher education.
For many families, however, access to higher
education is instrumental in their ability to move
forward in the aftermath of a line-of-duty tragedy.

FLEDA Program Benefits

The FLEDA Program provides an educational
assistance allowance to eligible survivors of
Federal law enforcement officers whose deaths or
permanent and total disabilities are the direct and
proximate result of a traumatic injury sustained in
the line of duty. 

FLEDA benefits are intended for the sole purpose of
deferring educational expenses, which may include
tuition, room and board, books, supplies, and fees
consistent with the educational, professional, or
vocational objectives set forth by the applicant in
his or her application for assistance. The
allowance was established in the amount of $404 per
month for full-time students, $304 for three-
quarter-time students, and $202 for half-time
students. The amount of assistance is subject to
change consistent with the current computation of
educational assistance allowance set forth in Title
IV of the Higher Education Act, Section 3532 of
Title 38, United States Code.

FLEDA Program Effective Dates

The FLEDA Act makes program benefits available
retroactively to the families of Federal law
enforcement officers killed in the line of duty on
or after May 1, 1992. The effective date for the
families of permanently and totally disabled
Federal law enforcement officers is October 3,
1996. 

Eligibility for FLEDA Benefits

The FLEDA Act stipulates that FLEDA benefits are to
be provided directly to dependents who attend a
program of education at an eligible educational
institution and are the children or spouses of
Federal law enforcement officers whose deaths or
permanent and total disabilities are covered by the
PSOB Act (42 U.S.C. 3796 et seq.). Federal
officers' children are no longer eligible for
assistance, however, after their 27th birthday,
absent a finding by the Attorney General of
extraordinary circumstances. Assistance under the
FLEDA Program is available for a period of 45
months of full-time education or training or for a
proportional period of time for a part-time
program. 

For More Information

For more information about the Federal Law
Enforcement Dependents Assistance Program, to
obtain a copy of the FLEDA regulations and
application form, or to share your observations and
recommendations, please contact:

Federal Law Enforcement Dependents Assistance
Program
Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program
Bureau of Justice Assistance
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20531
Tel: 1-888-SIGNL13 (744-6513)
Fax: 202-307-3373
World Wide Web: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA

Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000
Tel: 1-800-688-4252
World Wide Web: http://www.ncjrs.org

Clearinghouse staff are available Monday through
Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. eastern time. Ask them
to place you on the BJA mailing list.

Department of Justice Response Center
1-800-421-6770 or 202-307-1480

Response Center staff are available Monday through
Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern time.

FS 000183
May 1997