Pa. state police drop college credit requirement for new recruits
HARRISBURG, Pa. September 1 2023— In an effort to address the workforce shortages in law enforcement, the state of Pennsylvania has dropped the college credit requirement to become a trooper, WHP reports.
Gov. Josh Shapiro and state law enforcement leaders are dropping the 60 college credit requirement for applicants in hopes of increasing the pool of applicants who are hoping to seek a career as a state trooper.
According to Pennsylvania State Police, cadets must:
Possess a high school diploma or GED certificate
Be at least 20 years of age. To become a trooper, cadets must be at least 21 years of age and must be under 40 years old at the time of graduation.
Possess a valid driver’s license from any state upon appointment as a Pennsylvania State Police Cadet. By the time of graduation, cadets must reside in the state of Pennsylvania and have a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license.
Applicants who meet all requirements will move on to a written exam. Applicants who pass the written exam will then go through several screenings before training at the academy.
Once cadets complete the training academy, they are promoted to trooper and receive an increase in salary. As of 2022, the starting salary for troopers is $65,763.
“We need to take the steps now to address workforce shortages in law enforcement — and we need to open the doors of opportunity to those who want to serve,” Shapiro said in a statement.
