Endowments and Scholarships - Scholarship are funds awarded to students to help relieve some of the financial burden associated with higher education. Traditionally, scholarships are awarded prior to the beginning of the fall semester. The amount varies, but is usually about $1,000, equally split between the fall and spring semesters. Scholarship recipients receive notification via US mail and ultimately their UHCL accounts are credited with the award.
- Scholarship applications are available online and the scholarships descriptions of the qualifying criteria are published so students can choose the scholarship that best suits their individual needs (grade point average, major, undergraduate/graduate etc.) Students submit the applications with all the appropriate letters of recommendation and transcripts. A scholarship committee, comprised of UHCL faculty and staff members, reviews the applications and makes the award recommendations. It is possible for students to apply for several scholarships and receive more than one award depending on the number of applications received, qualification of applicants etc. The committee does try to spread the funds around so that a larger pool of students benefit rather than awarding multiple scholarships to a small number of students.
- The term endowment refers to funds that are deposited in an account designated for a specific scholarship award, such as International Connections of Houston. Funds deposited into an endowment account accrue interest annually. Endowments are gifts that keep on giving because of the lasting benefits they create. A portion of the funds are invested and the principal remains untouched. At the end of the designated fiscal year, scholarship awards are made from a portion of the interest gained. The remaining portion of the interest is then reinvested back into the principal. In this way, the account continues to grow over time. The annual payout rate is typically around 5% and this payout is used to fund the scholarships.
- International students attending the University of Houston-Clear Lake taking 12 credit hours can expect to pay over $5,000 in tuition and fees. Texas residents can expect to pay around $500 for the same 12 hours. Because of the tuition cost for non-residents, scholarship support can mean the difference between earning a degree and dropping out of school for international students. Endowments offer perpetual support thus making scholarship awards possible to alleviate this financial burden.
Further reading: Connected to the Future by Melissa Mares, Coordinator of Corporate and Foundation Relations, University of Houston, Clear Lake (UHCL)
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Scholarship Recipients
2009: Jian Wei Fu from China
Jian Wei Fu is a doctor born and raised in China who came to the U.S. in 2002 with her husband, also a Chinese national and a doctoral student. She studied English here and did some teaching. In 2007, she joined the University of Houston-Clear Lake to pursue studies in biotechnology with an aim to obtaining a degree in dental medicine.
2008: Jendayi Alleyene from Dominica and Thi Tra from Vietnam
Ms. Alleyene was an international student at the University of Houston-Clear Lake from Dominica studying for a Bachelor's of Science in Biology. Since coming to the U.S., Ms. Alleyene has been active with the Rotaract Club, the Biology Club, the Caribbean Student Organization and the Biotechnology Research Club. In addition to her studies and activities, Ms. Alleyene works as an office assistant at Premium Eyecare.
Tra was an international student at the University of Houston-Clear Lake from Vietnam studying for a Bachelors of Science in Finance. She has been involved in many activities both in the U.S. and in Vietnam, including the Junior Buddhist Family, Vietnamese International Student Association and the Vietnamese Student Association. In addition to her studies and activities, Ms. Tra works in the Intercultural and International Student Services office as a student ambassador.
2008: Vy Trinh from Vietnam
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