• April 19, 2021

Scholarship Opportunity for Future Service Members

Scholarship Opportunity for Future Service Members

150 150 Elect Todd Hunter

It is important to recognize the commitment and sacrifice of those men and women in uniform who bravely serve our country. One way the Texas Legislature honors future generations of military leaders is through the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program (TASSP). This program was established by the 81st Texas Legislature to support promising students who show a commitment to education and service as well as to encourage participation in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs at civilian colleges. Each year, members of the Texas legislature, along with the governor and lieutenant governor, are allowed the opportunity to select students across the state to receive college scholarships through the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program. As a condition of these scholarships, students must commit to serving in the Texas Guard, Army National Guard, or Air National Guard, or to become commissioned officers in the United States Armed Services upon graduation.

The governor and the lieutenant governor may each appoint two students, and each state senator and state representative may appoint one student to receive a TASSP scholarship. As the State Representative of House District 32, my office is accepting scholarship applications from eligible students who reside within the district. To be considered for the Texas Armed Services Scholarship nomination, a student must meet two of the following four academic criteria at the time of the application:

• Graduate or have graduated high school with 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 on a 4.0 scale.
• Achieve a college readiness score on the SAT (1070) or ACT (23).
• Ranked in the top third of their graduating class.

Once a student receives the TASSP nomination, several criteria must be met for the nominated student to be eligible for receipt of an initial scholarship. Eligibility is determined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which oversees the administration of the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program. Requirements include entering into a written agreement with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board agreeing to complete four years of ROTC training and graduate no later than six years after the date the student first registers at an institution of higher education. Additionally, the selected student must provide the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board with verification of a four-year commitment of qualified military service no later than six months after graduation from college. For more information on specific requirements, please visit Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Student Loans for the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program.

This is an exciting opportunity for any student seeking to enter the armed forces by way of a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program at a civilian college. If you are a student who would like to be nominated for this scholarship program, please submit a cover letter along with proof that you have met the required academic criteria by email to District32.Hunter@house.texas.gov no later than Tuesday, August 31, 2021. You may also send your application by mail to either my Capitol office in Austin (P.O. Box 2910, Austin, Texas 78768) or my District office in Corpus Christi (15217 S.P.I.D., Suite 205, Corpus Christi, TX 78418) by the deadline. Students must complete their TASSP online applications by Friday, October 15, 2021.

If you would like any additional information on the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program, please do not hesitate to contact my Capitol or District office (512-463-0672; 361-949-4603). The TASSP scholarship is administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Questions can also be directed to the Board’s Office of External Relations, which can be reached at 512-427-6111. For more information visit the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

If you would like to follow the Texas House and learn more information on news, committees, or other aspects of the legislative body, you can access its website at Texas House of Representatives. The site features live streaming from the House floor, committee hearings as well as access to a few other resources. You can also follow the Texas Senate, and Office of the Texas Governor.

If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this week’s article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. Please always feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or issues regarding a Texas state agency, or if you would like to contact my office regarding constituent services. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns, or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).

– State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32

Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part). He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.