Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program (TASSP)

The Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program encourages students to complete a baccalaureate degree and become a member of one of these organizations:

How Much Can Be Awarded?
The amount of the award will be the lesser of:

• $10,000
• An amount not to exceed the student’s cost of attendance less the total amount a student will earn for that academic year for being under contract with one of the branches of the armed services of the United States and any other financial assistance.

Who Can Be Appointed?
Selected students must meet two of these four academic criteria:

• Be on track to graduate or have graduated high school with the Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP), the distinguished level of achievement under the Foundation High School program, or the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
• Have a high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Have achieved 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

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) requests that elected officials submit TASSP appointment nominations no later than August 31, 2020 to provide students sufficient time to complete the application process.

Scholarship Eligibility
To receive a scholarship, an appointed student must:

• Be registered with Selective Service or be exempt
• Be enrolled and in good standing in a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program or another undergraduate officer commissioning program as certified by the institution
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) as indicated by the financial aid office at the recipient’s institution of higher education
• Enter into a written agreement with the THECB
• Complete school-initiated TASSP application by October 15, 2020
• Repay the scholarship if requirements are not met

If a student fails to meet the requirements to initially receive a scholarship or fails to complete the application process by October 15, the student forfeits the scholarship. The THECB will notify the legislative office of their nominee’s change in eligibility so that the legislator can submit an alternate student.

How Long Can a Student Receive a Scholarship?
A student cannot receive a scholarship for more than:

• four of the six years that are allowed for a student to graduate if the student is enrolled in a degree program of four years or less; or
• five of the six years allowed for graduation if the student is enrolled in a degree program of more than four years.

A student may not receive a scholarship after having earned a baccalaureate degree or a cumulative total of 150 credit hours, including transferred hours that have been verified by the student’s institution.

Promissory Note
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board requires a scholarship recipient to sign a promissory note acknowledging the conditional nature of the scholarship and promising to repay the amount of the scholarship plus applicable interest, late charges, and any collection costs, including attorneys’ fees, if the recipient fails to meet certain conditions of the scholarship.

Recipients agree to:

• Complete four years of ROTC training or the equivalent of four years of ROTC training if the institution of higher education awards ROTC credit for prior service in any branch of the U.S. Armed Services or the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, Texas State Guard, United States Coast Guard, or United States Merchant Marine, or another undergraduate officer commissioning program
• Graduate no later than six years after the date the student first enrolls in an institution of higher education after having received a high school diploma or a General Educational Diploma or its equivalent
• After graduation, enter into and provide the THECB with verification of one of the following:
  • 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 physical examination requirements and all other prescreening requirements of the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, Texas State Guard, United States Coast Guard, or United States Merchant Marine, or the branch of the armed services with which the student enters into a contract
• Repay the scholarship according to the terms of the promissory note if the student fails to meet the requirements in the Conversion of a Scholarship to a Loan section

Conversion of a Scholarship to a Loan
A scholarship will become a loan if the recipient:

• Fails to maintain SAP
• Withdraws from the scholarship program, as indicated through withdrawal or removal from the institution or that institution’s ROTC program or other undergraduate officer commissioning program, without subsequent enrollment in another institution of higher education and that subsequent institution’s ROTC program or other undergraduate officer commissioning program
• Fails to fulfill one of the following:
  • 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
  • The minimum active service requirement included in a contract to serve as a commissioned officer in any branch of the armed services of the United States; honorable discharge is considered demonstration of fulfilling the minimum active service requirement
• Does not submit documentation of the contract or commitment to the THECB within twelve months of graduation with a baccalaureate degree; subsequently filing documentation will revert the loan back to a scholarship

If a scholarship is converted to a loan, the student:

• Cannot regain scholarship eligibility in a subsequent academic year
• Loses eligibility to receive any future scholarships through the program

Loan Repayment Requirements
Once the scholarship is converted to a loan, the repayment requirements include:

• The student will have a 6-month grace after the scholarship becomes a loan before repayment begins; however, interest begins to accrue on the date the scholarship is converted to a loan.
• The TASSP loan has a 15-year repayment period, and a required minimum monthly payment of $100 or an amount required to repay the loan within 15 years, whichever is greater.
• The TASSP interest rate will be the same rate charged for a College Access Loan at the time the funds were disbursed.
• If a past due payment amount is not received within 20 days of the scheduled due date, a past due penalty of 5 percent of the scheduled monthly payment or five dollars, whichever is less, will be charged.

Note: Students experiencing a medical disability or any type of financial hardship can apply for postponed or reduced payments and cancellation (medical disability only) of their TASSP loan either verbally or by submitting a General Postponement Request to the THECB.

How Can I Apply?

1. You must be appointed by a Texas senator or representative or the lieutenant governor or governor. If you are interested in this program and think you meet the program requirements, contact your legislator for more information. Students may locate their legislator at 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 office’s webpage, Governor’s Appointment Responsibility
2. Once selected, you will receive a Notice of Selection letter.
3. Once you decide upon the higher education institution and corresponding ROTC program in which you will enroll, provide 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 receive an email requesting that you complete your Texas Armed Services Scholarship application at Loans Online.
6. The Texas Armed Services Scholarship online application must be completed by October 15, 2020 or the legislator may provide an alternate nominee.

To apply to be appointed to the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program (TASSP) by State Representative Briscoe Cain, please email your resume to District128.Cain@House.Texas.Gov.