FAQ

 

  • TSA is the Technology Student Association, career and technical student organization (CTSO) that aims to prepare well rounded students interested in field of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) through Career Technical Education (CTE) focused curriculum and competition.

  • Teachers, you can affiliate with permission from your admin. Visit: tsamembership.registermychapter.com

    Students, connect with a teacher or a counselor and express your interest in starting a TSA chapter.

  • Affiliation is another word for registration. By affiliating, you are registering with the National TSA organization, which grants you access to the Competitive Event Guide so you can start preparing for your events.

  • Affiliation Fees are as follows

    Red CAP: A chapter affiliates up to 10 members by paying a flat fee of $120 plus $10 per student and $20 per advisor as state dues.Ideal for first time chapters.

    Flat Chapter Fee:  $120 + $10 per State Member

    Chapter Advisor Fee: $20

    • $10 for State

    • $10 for Nationals

    White CAP: A chapter affiliates 11 or more members by paying a per member fee for state and national dues. Ideal for growing chapters.

    Student Fee: $22

    • $10 for State

    • $12 for Nationals

    Chapter Advisor Fee: $20

    • $10 for State

    • $10 for Nationals

    Blue CAP: A chapter affiliates an unlimited number of members in a school for a flat fee. This option is popular among chapters in which students rotate through a STEM class for a portion of the year because it enables all students to be members. Ideal for chapter with 40+ members.

    Flat Chapter Fee:  $900

    • $400 for State

    • $500 for Nationals

    Chapter Advisor Fee: $20

    • $10 for State

    • $10 for Nationals

  • You should affiliate as soon as possible to get started early on your competitive events. Start as Red CAP and if you grow beyond 10 students, you will automatically be put into White Cap.

    Affiliated chapters can apply for Perkins funding, deadline for application is October 15th.

    Affiliation closes January 15th for the 25 – 26 season. This is also the close date for State Conference registration.

  • The state conference hosts the competitive events, general sessions, voting for incoming State officers, and provides opportunities for students to learn more about colleges and careers in the STEM field.  

  • State Conference fees/dues pay for the State Conference Trading Pin, T-shirt, and meals provided by the conference venue. Negotiations with the venue are occurring, check back for the final fees/dues cost. Previous years have had the cost at $50/member.

  • Charter and private schools are allowed to affiliate with TSA. Perkins funding is only accessible to public and chartered schools.

    TSA does not exclude homeschooled students from becoming TSA members. However, membership in TSA is strictly through school-affiliated chapters in a local, state-registered education district. Home-schooled students may join one TSA chapter in their community with the approval of the school’s administration. 

  • TSA provides student members with the opportunity to explore a wide variety of STEM career interest areas. All 70 middle and high school competitions are correlated with national STEM standards and can be integrated into and enhance STEM curriculum.

    Students, TSA is a Nationally recognized CTSO, meaning that by being a part of it, and a leader in it, makes your college applications stand out. You also get to travel and participate in competitive events with your friends, and network with members, and industry professionals.

    Teachers, you get to network and collaborate with other educators, administrators, parents, and community leaders in addition to providing a safe and welcoming environment for students where they get hands-on, project based, CTE learning experiences.

    Admin, 98% of CTSO members graduate high school and 52% earn a skill certification in NM. With a strong push from the PED into CTE, TSA is a great opportunity, especially for those students pursuing STEM degrees and careers after high school.

  • As a Chapter Advisor, your role is to ensure your students are affiliated members with their chapters, their dues are paid and registered for State Conference. In addition to these admin roles, you should work as a guide and point-of-contact to assist your chapter members in completing and improving their event entries and keeping them on task and ready for the competitions.

  • No, any teacher with any background can be a chapter advisor. Teams are also not limited in the number of chapter advisors they can have, just keep in mind any affiliated advisor must pay the membership dues. Use your school’s network to connect with people who have expertise in areas of events you aren’t as proficient in. It never hurts to ask, and you would be helping in growing the TSA network.

  • Yes, this year we have approximately $70,000 of Perkins funding from the NM PED to pass through to schools looking to start or grow their TSA Chapter. This funding is restricted in use to allowable expenses related to supplies and materials, travel, professional development etc. Please see application due October 15th for more information.  

  • Yes, NM TSA is a sanctioned activity with the New Mexico Activities Association. By being a part of this association, NM TSA awards a chapter each year as the State Champion based on a final score from their “Chapter of the Year” application which documents all of the efforts the chapter made in growing TSA in their school and the state, along with their performance in the competitive events at the State Conference.  

  • No, TSA is a CTSO. CTSOs are state funded programs designed to increase students demonstrate higher levels of academic engagement and motivation, civic engagement, career self-efficacy and employability. Other CTSOs include FFA, DECA, HOSA, BPA, SkillsUSA, Educator Rising, and FCCLA. Clubs like board games, video games, media, fashion can filter into TSA and compete at a national level.

  • TSA includes chapter, state and national officers, leadership conferences, and opportunities for public speaking and professional growth. SciOly, MESA, or robotics clubs don’t have this structured leadership track. TSA competitions mirror real-world technical fields, giving students tangible skills (project management, documentation, presentations, teamwork).