Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program (TASSP)

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

• Texas Army National Guard 
• Texas Air National Guard 
• Texas State Guard 
• United States Coast Guard 
• United States Merchant Marine 
• Become a commissioned officer in any branch of the armed services of the United States 

Each year 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 an initial conditional scholarship award. 

The amount of the award will be the lesser of: 

• $15,000 
• 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 

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 

To receive a scholarship, an appointed student must: 

• Be registered with Selective Service or be exempt 
• Be enrolled at a public or private (non-profit) institution of higher education in Texas 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 
• 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, the student may forfeit 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

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 bachelor’s degree or a cumulative total of 150 credit hours, including transferred hours that have been verified by the student’s institution. 

The THECB 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 
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) 

If a recipient fails to meet the conditions of the scholarship, they 

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

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

Learn more about how you can apply.