Education Support Program

The Education Support Program (ESP) is a specialized funding initiative administered by the State Justice Institute (SJI), in collaboration with the National Judicial College (NJC) and the National Center for State Courts’ Institute for Court Management (ICM). Established to enhance the professional development of full-time judges and court managers, the ESP supports participation in targeted training and education programs that might otherwise be inaccessible due to budget limitations at the state, local, or individual level. Since FY 2018, NJC and ICM have separately administered the ESP, with financial backing from SJI, to ensure broader and more direct access to professional education resources across the judicial system. The ESP is specifically designed to subsidize tuition costs for eligible participants seeking to enroll in select courses offered by NJC and ICM. The program will cover tuition expenses up to a maximum of $1,000 per award. However, it does not provide financial support for other associated costs such as travel, lodging, meals, course materials, or local transportation. Any expenses beyond the $1,000 tuition limit or those outside the scope of covered costs must be independently funded by the recipient or other sources. Eligibility for ESP funding is limited to a defined group of full-time judicial professionals. This includes full-time judges of state or local trial and appellate courts, court personnel with management duties or on a professional career track, and supervisory or management-level probation officials within judicial branch probation offices. Notably, part-time judges, senior judges, quasi-judicial officers, administrative law judges, staff attorneys, clerks, law enforcement personnel, and individuals employed outside the judicial branch are not eligible to apply. Additionally, applicants may only receive one ESP award every other fiscal year unless the educational course spans multiple years as part of a certified program. Only courses provided by the NJC or ICM within U.S. jurisdictions are eligible for ESP support, and participants must also be physically located in the U.S. or its territories during the course. Courses designed for annual conferences or national meetings, even those containing educational components, are not eligible under this program. NJC and ICM each maintain their own course catalogs and registration systems. To apply for ESP funding, interested participants must begin the registration process directly through the course provider’s website. For NJC courses, applicants indicate their need for scholarship support during online registration, and for ICM, scholarship links are embedded within the course descriptions. ESP recipients are expected to disseminate the knowledge gained through their training with colleagues at the local or state level. Both NJC and ICM may also impose additional responsibilities or criteria at their discretion. Application deadlines align with SJI’s quarterly federal funding cycles and occur on November 1, February 1, May 1, and August 1. Final determinations regarding eligibility and use of funds are made solely by SJI, and some costs—such as meals, refreshments, and promotional items—are generally prohibited unless explicitly pre-approved. For additional information or assistance with applications, interested parties may contact SJI via email at contact@sji.gov or by phone at 703-660-4979. Course-specific inquiries should be directed to NJC Director of Advancement Susan Robinson at susanrobinson@judges.org or 775-327-8252 for NJC, or to ICM via ICM_Scholarships@ncsc.org.

Follow course registration prompts; direct questions to listed contacts; tuition awards are capped at $1,000.