College credits no longer required to become PSP trooper

Aug. 29—HERSHEY — The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) dropped its college credit requirement for cadet applicants, effective immediately, as it looks to hire hundreds of new troopers.

State Police had required an Associate's Degree or 60 college credit hours as an educational requirement. That ended Monday with an announcement by Gov. Josh Shapiro and PSP Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris.

In a press conference at the State Police Academy, Shapiro said cadet applicants are dropping rapidly: From 8,000 applicants per class in 2019 to just 1,800 for the latest class in 2023.

The latest class, which graduated last week, saw 50 cadets join PSP. The governor noted that police departments across the country, state and municipal, are struggling to fill officer openings.

"For nearly 30 years, college credit requirements have prevented some of the most capable and committed from being able to serve our commonwealth. No longer will that be the case," Shapiro said.

Shapiro likened the directive to his first executive order issued in January that ended college degree requirements for approximately 92% of state government jobs. The purpose, then and now, is to emphasize skills and experience when hiring employees.

Paris noted that the 2024 state budget includes funding to hire up to 384 new troopers this fiscal year.

The remaining requirements include possession of a high school diploma or GED certificate and a valid driver's license from any state. Applicants must be at least 20 years old at the time of application, and they must be at least 21 years old and cannot have reached age 40 upon entry into the training academy. Cadets must be a Pennsylvania resident and possess a valid Pennsylvania driver's license at the time of graduation.

Cadets will still be required to undergo a polygraph examination, background investigation, physical readiness testing and a medical and psychological evaluation. Once accepted into the academy, cadets take on 28 weeks of training. The next class has 76 cadets and is scheduled to graduate on Dec. 22.

According to Paris, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia all similarly dropped college credit requirements for their respective state police operations.

"With this change, I do not expect to see a drop-off of the quality or caliber of those who go on to successfully graduate from our training academy and become troopers. We demand the highest standards and will continue to do so," Paris said.

The new starting salary for troopers is $66,911 plus benefits. Paris said salary advancement can be quick and that after three years serving in patrol, troopers are eligible to pursue career advancement across two dozen specialty positions. Openings can be viewed at www.patrooper.com.