Texas State Senator Kevin Sparks announced that his office is now accepting applications for Texas Senate District 31 college-ready students who are planning a military career.

“I believe military service is an honor and I look forward to assisting our brave servicemen and women in their pursuit of a higher education. It is my sincere hope that our prospective servicemembers take advantage of this incredible opportunity and I look forward to reviewing each application.”

Annually, each State Representative and State Senator may appoint one student to receive up to $15,000 through the Texas Armed Services Scholarship. Prospective applicants must meet specific criteria and make a four-year commitment to a qualified military service branch.

The program encourages students to complete a baccalaureate degree and become a member of the Texas Army National Guard, the Texas Air National Guard, the Texas State Guard, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Merchant Marine, or a commissioned officer in any branch of the armed services of the United States.

Selected students must meet two of these four academic criteria:

1. Be on track to graduate or have graduated high school with the Distinguished Achievement Program, the distinguished level of achievement under the Foundation High School Program, or the International Baccalaureate Program;

2. Have a high school grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale;

3. Have achieved a college readiness score on the SAT of at least 1070 or at least 23 on the ACT;

4. Be ranked in the top one-third of the prospective high school graduating class. Students who wish to apply for a nomination should visit the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Student Loans webpage, which can be found at: http://www.hhloans.com/index.cfm?ObjectID=8FB593C7-EE1E-7872- 00A8808886543AEE.

The deadline for Senate District 31 residents to submit an application to Senator Sparks’ office is August 24, 2023. Applications may be e-mailed to mikael.garcia@senate.texas.gov with the subject line “Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program Application,” or mailed to the following address: State Sen. Kevin Sparks c/o Mike Garcia, Chief of Staff P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin, TX 78711.