If you want to get paid to go to college then being a Police Cadet could be just for you.

Bermuda Police Service Sgt. Charlene Thompson said a cadet earns a $26,000 yearly starting salary, but must serve three years after graduating.

?They are getting paid for going to school,? Sgt. Thompson said. ?It is a win-win situation. It exposes young people to a Policing environment while at the same time they are able to get an education.

?We are not holding you for the rest of your life. We give you what we give you and ask that you give us three years.?

But she said if cadets choose to remain in the Service, they are at a ?huge advantage? because of their additional training.

First-year cadet Christopher Rodrigues has been studying business administration at the Bermuda College.

?I wanted to join the Police Service, but I wanted to be able to go to school and being a cadet gave me a way to do that,? Mr. Rodrigues, 20, said.

When he is not in class he is at Police Headquarters in Prospect with his class of 14 fellow cadets.

?When classes are out they are here studying or doing community service,? Sgt. Thompson said. ?When college is out, we do send them out on attachments to give them experience.?

Third-year cadet Melissa Haynes is on a salary of $28,000 a year. Besides paying for her books, she has not had to pay anything to get an associate degree.

?It has been a learning experience being able to assess what my strengths and weaknesses are,? Ms Haynes, 21, said.

She said she learned self defence and how take care of her uniform during drill instruction.

Sgt. Thompson said there are rigorous tests involved before becoming a cadet. ?They must be in good physical and mental health and must pass the Police Initial Recruitment Test (PIRT),? she said. ?After they have passed PIRT, that is one of 27 steps they must pass before getting into the programme.?

Once they have passed these tests, they have to be accepted into an Associates Degree programme at the College.

She said they already have a few applications, but in order to get as good a ?pool? of young officers the deadline was extended to May 20.

Application forms, which are the same for regular Police, can be downloaded from bermudapolice.bm or picked up at any Police station.

?It is an opportunity to obtain a degree and support myself at the same time,? Cadet Haynes said.