(Round Rock, TX) – The Texas State Troopers Association (TSTA) is pleased to announce that the application period for the 2025 TSTA Scholarship Program has opened and will run through May 30, 2025.

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This year, TSTA will award ten scholarships of $500 each to deserving students pursuing higher education. The scholarship program is open to students entering or currently enrolled in an accredited college. Applicants must be sponsored by a TSTA member to be eligible.

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Application Requirements:

• Applicants must be entering or currently enrolled in an accredited college.
• A letter from the applicant’s TSTA member-sponsor, which may include a parent.
• College transcripts for applicants already enrolled or high school transcripts for incoming college freshmen.
• A description of applicant’s participation in academic, honorary, civic, or extracurricular activities in college or in high school for incoming freshmen.
• An essay about the applicant's relationship with their TSTA member-sponsor, current education goals, and future aspirations in their subject/training area.
• Two to three letters of recommendation from the past year written by high school or college faculty, employers, or other appropriate references unrelated to the applicant.

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“We are proud to support the educational goals of students in our TSTA family,” said Rohnnie Shaw, Executive Director of TSTA. “Investing in education is investing in the future, and we are honored to help these young men and women pursue their dreams.”

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The application is available for download from www.texasstatetroopers.org/scholarship.

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Any employee of the Department of Public Safety who is not yet a member but is interested in joining TSTA can visit www.texasstatetroopers.org or contact TSTA’s office at (512) 450-1814 with questions.

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Completed applications and supporting documents must be submitted by May 30, 2025, via mail to TSTA attn: Scholarship Applications, 2261 Gattis School Rd., Ste 250, Round Rock, TX 78664, or by email to JoAnne@texasstatetroopers.org.

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The following opinion piece was written by Rohnnie Shaw, Executive Director of the Texas State Troopers Association and first published in the Houston Chronicle.

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"Every day, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers put their lives on the line to protect our communities.

"Nowhere is this more evident than along the Texas-Mexico border, where Texas and federal officials have warned of escalating cartel violence, and where human trafficking and the relentless flow of drugs continue.

"It’s a critical job and we must ensure we have the funding to do it well."

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From KXAN

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AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday morning asked the Texas Department of Public Safety, or DPS, to deploy tactical strike teams to “support the Trump Administration’s homeland security operations to locate and arrest criminal illegal immigrants in the state.”

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Abbott said in a press release issued Tuesday that Texas is expanding operations to assist President Trump’s hard and fast efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.

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“Today, I directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to deploy tactical strike teams to work alongside our federal partners to enforce immigration laws throughout the state,” Abbott said in the release. “These teams will coordinate with Homeland Security agencies to track down the thousands of illegal immigrants with active warrants across Texas and deport them from our country.”

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It comes on the same day that DPS Director, Col. Freeman Martin, testified in front of the Senate Finance Committee about his agency’s budget. The agency is requesting more than $3 billion from the state. The biggest ask is for an additional 500 commissioned Troopers to help with staffing issues.

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Col. Martin testified that his troopers are facing various threats across the state, including assisting in Operation Lone Star, the state’s effort to secure the southern border. Martin said the increased responsibilities on his troopers and continued deployments across the state are leaving some gaps in patrols.

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He says the additional troopers will help his agency address a lot of issues. The Texas State Troopers Association is also calling on the legislature to pass the budget request and add the additional commissioned troopers. In a statement, the association’s director, Rohnnie Shaw, said, “TSTA is urging the Legislature to prioritize DPS so our officers can continue to protect Texas communities from existing and emerging public safety threats, including at the border, where cartel violence and terrorism are escalating by the day.” ...