Matt Shaheen Texas State Representative
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas To honor service in our Nations Armed Forces I am excited to announce that I am accepting applications for the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program for citizens in District 66 (West Plano and Far North Dallas). This program was created by the Texas Legislature to encourage military service through Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) programs at Texas colleges and is open to Texas high school students who meet a high level of academic achievement. You can download an application at the following address under the Media tab on the bottom of the website:
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/?district=66
Feel free to call my Capitol office with any questions at (512) 463-0594. The deadline to apply is Wednesday June 29th. Below are the qualifications for the program:
The High School graduate must meet at least two of the following four academic criteria:
- Student is on track to graduate or graduated high school with the Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP) or the International Baccalaureate Program (IB).
- A high school GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Must achieved a college readiness score on the SAT (1070) or ACT (23).
- Ranked in the top one-third of the prospective high school graduating class.
An interested individual must first make the below commitment:
1. Complete four years of Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) for college.
2. Graduate no later than six years after the date first enrolled.
3. After graduation enter into:
i. 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
ii. Contract to serve as a commissioned officer in any branch of the armed services of the United States.
Once a candidate has met these requirements they need to send our office the following:
a. Official High School transcript
b. Letters of Recommendation (3 one of those needs to be from your JROTC officer if applicable)
c. Resume
d. Brief Essay: Topic- What does America mean to you? (MLA Standard 300 words min 350 words max)
If awarded the scholarship and the commitments are not upheld the grant will then be considered a loan and must be paid back. The way the grant will become a loan is if the student fails to:
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress.
• Fulfill any terms of the 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.
If selected:
a. Student will receive a Notice of Selection to turn into the Institutions financial aid office.
b. The financial aid office will certify your program eligibility to the 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.
c. Once the Higher Education Coordinating Board receives the institutions eligibility certification you will receive an email requesting you to complete your Texas Armed Services Scholarship application online at
www.hhloans.com.
It is an honor to represent you and your family in the Texas House of Representatives. Together we can ensure that we pass on a strong secure and prosperous Texas to the next generation.
