The Oregon Homicide Investigators Association (OHIA) is awarding two one-time scholarships each in the amount of $1,500 for the 2024-2025 academic year. One scholarship will be awarded in the name of Ret. Jackson County Sheriff’s Sergeant Colin Fagan and the second will be awarded in the name of Special Agent In Charge Rich Austria. Sgt. Fagan was inspirational in the creation of OHIA and was unanimously appointed as the association’s first president. The Rich Austria OHIA scholarship is named after our second President who retired from his post in 2022 after serving the association faithfully for many years. The vision, knowledge and countless hours of time and energy of both Fagan and Austria are the reason OHIA is what it is today.

The two scholarships will be awarded to promising students who exemplify excellence in academics, school and community involvement. A committee comprised of present OHIA Board Members will choose the recipient. Funds will be directly paid to the college or university of choice and credited in the recipient’s name. This scholarship will be forfeited if the recipient fails to enroll in school within 6 months of receipt.

Eligibility: The Colin Fagan and Rich Austria OHIA scholarships are open to graduating high school seniors who have a parent, grandparent, or step-parent employed by an Oregon law enforcement agency or affiliate (Medical Examiners, Forensics, Analysts, District Attorneys). The qualifying family member must be either a current OHIA member or a past-attendee at an OHIA Conference. Eligible students must attend a public or private accredited institution of higher learning in the United States.

Dates: The application process will open on February 15, 2024, and close on May 15, 2024. The recipients will be announced by June 15, 2024.

Application: The applicant will need to submit an OHIA scholarship form, two letters of recommendation, and current transcript. As part of the application process, applicants will be asked to write about community involvement, school involvement, and future plans.