Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program

In 2009, the legislature passed House Bill 3452, which created the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program. This program is designed to encourage students to participate in Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programs at colleges. A student must meet specific eligibility criteria in order to receive an initial scholarship award, and must enter into a four-year commitment as a member of the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air Force National Guard, or as a commissioned officer in any branch of the armed services of the United States. Students can receive up to $10,000, but the amount may vary from year to year depending on the number of recipients. Every year, the governor and lieutenant governor may each appoint two students, and each state senator and state representative may appoint one student to receive a scholarship, on the condition that the student satisfies all other requirements. A maximum of 185 students per year may be appointed. In order to be considered for a Texas Armed Services Scholarship, a student must meet at least two of the following academic criteria: is on track to graduate high school with the Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP) or the International Baccalaureate Program (IB); has a current high school GPA of 3.0 or higher; achieves a score on the SAT of at least 1590 or on the ACT of 23; or is currently ranked in the top third of the graduating class. Additionally, a student must agree to complete four years of ROTC training; graduated within 5 years; within 6 months of graduating provide verification of a commitment to the Texas National Guard or a branch of the U.S. armed services; and agree to repay the scholarship if the student fails to meet these requirements. The Higher Education Coordinating Board, which administers the program, has requested that legislators submit their nominees for the scholarship for the 2011-2012 school year as soon as possible. Interested students can contact my office for more information by writing to P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768-2910 or by emailing me at larry.phillips@house.state.tx.us. My district office phone number is (903) 891-7297.