The purpose of the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program is to encourage students to become members of the Texas Army National Guard, the Texas Air National Guard, the Texas State Guard, the United States Coast Guard, or the United States Merchant Marine, or to become commissioned officers in any branch of the armed services of the United States. Annually, the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor may each appoint two students, and each State Senator and each State Representative may appoint one student to receive a conditional TASSP award.

Eligibility for Nomination

In order to be considered for a TASSP award, a student enrolling in higher education directly from high school must meet two of the following four academic criteria at the time of application:

• Be on track to graduate, or has graduated high school and complete the curriculum requirements of the Distinguished Level of Achievement Plan or the International Baccalaureate Program (IB)
• Have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Achieve a college readiness score on the SAT (1070) or ACT (23)
• Be ranked in the top one-third of the prospective high school graduating class

A non-freshman student applying for an initial award must also meet the Continuing Eligibility Requirements outlined below that also apply for continuing receipt of the award.

Eligibility for Receipt of Initial Award

To receive an initial conditional award through the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program, a selected student must

• be appointed by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Senator or State Representative;
• be enrolled in a Texas public or private accredited institution of higher education;
• be a member in good standing of a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program while enrolled in the institution, as certified by the institution;
• enter into a written agreement with the Coordinating Board agreeing to:
  • complete four years of ROTC training;
  • graduate no later than six years after the date the student first enrolls at an institution of higher education;
  • no later than six months after graduation, provide the Coordinating Board with verification of:
    • a four year commitment to be a member of the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, Texas State Guard, United States Coast Guard, or United States Merchant Marine;
    • a contract to serve as a commissioned officer in any branch of the armed services of the United States.
• meet the prescreening requirements of the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, Texas State Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Merchant Marine or the branch of the armed services with which the student enters into a contract; and
• repay the award if the student fails to meet the requirements for obtaining the award;
• meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements set by the institution.

Continued Eligibility Requirements

Dependent on funding available, a student may continue to receive an annual award if the student

• maintains satisfactory academic progress as determined by the institution in which the student is enrolled;
• continues to be a member of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program; and
• has not earned a baccalaureate degree or completed a cumulative total 150 credit hours, including transfer hours.

How much can be awarded?

The amount of the award will be the lesser of:

• $7,000; OR
• An amount not to exceed the student's cost of attendance less the total amount to be paid to a student for that academic year for being under contract with one of the branches of the armed services of the United States and other financial assistance.

A student may receive a scholarship for four of the six years allowed for graduation.

Repayment

A scholarship will become a loan if the student fails to

• maintain satisfactory academic progress;
• fulfill any terms of the scholarship;
• fulfill a four-year commitment to be a member of the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, Texas State Guard, United States Coast Guard, or United States Merchant Marine; or
• contract to serve as a commissioned officer in any branch of the armed services of the United States.

How can I apply?

1. You will need to be selected by a Texas state senator or Texas state representative or the lieutenant governor or governor. If you are interested in this program and you feel you meet the program requirements, you should contact your legislator for more information. Students may locate their legislator by visiting Who Represents Me. The lieutenant governor's office may be reached at (512) 463-0001. To contact the governor's office, a student may call the Appointments Office at (512) 463-1828 or visit the Governor's Appointment Responsibility web page.
2. Once selected, you will receive a Notice of Selection.
3. Once you decide upon the higher education institution and corresponding ROTC program in which you will enroll, you will take your Notice of Selection to the institution's financial aid office.
4. The financial aid office will certify your program eligibility to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Because program eligibility requirements include that you be enrolled in the institution and in the ROTC program at that institution, the financial aid office cannot provide their eligibility certification before those two criteria are met.
5. Once the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board receives the institution's eligibility certification, you will be notified to complete your Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program application online. You can apply at Loans Online.

Where can I get more information?

For more information, review Coordinating Board Rules, Chapter 21, Subchapter RR, Coordinating Board Rules, Chapter 61, Subchapter FF or contact us.