JOIN US!
ICH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM


Since the initial funding of our Billie C. Fowler International
Connections of Houston Scholarship at the University of
Houston – Clear Lake on August 23, 2001 there has been
much discussion and quite a few questions asked regarding
the scholarship. The funding of the scholarship is a major
milestone for ICH.
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 resident’s 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)


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 is an international student at the University of Houston-Clear Lake from Dominica. She
is currently a full-time, undergraduate student, expected to receive a Bachelor's of Science in Biology
in spring 2008.  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.

Ms. Tra is an international student at the University of Houston-Clear Lake from Vietnam.  She is
currently a full-time, undergraduate student, expected to receive a Bachelors of Science in Finance in
spring 2009.  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













2006: Stella Njema from Nigeria
Vy, (center) who hails from Vietnam made the long
trek out to West Houston to attend our May 2007
monthly meeting to introduce herself to our
members.  Amy Weldon, (right) who is the
Coordinator of Donor Stewardship with the
University, accompanied Vy and gave us more
insight into the scholarship program.  Chris
Lusignan, ICH President, is at left.
In order to obtain our non-profit status we were required to designate a fund-raising project and
therefore how we would distribute those funds. In one of its first Board Meetings, the Board of
Directors voted to establish a scholarship. Below is a very thorough explanation of how the
scholarship system functions at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Chair, ICH Scholarship Committee
(Revised 5th April 2007, courtesy of Amy Weldon, Coordinator of Donor Stewardship, University of Houston, Clear Lake)

Click here to view 2008 Annual Endowment Report.
Programs, Kathy Waugh presents a check
for the ICH Billie C Fowler Scholarship to
Mr Dion McInnis, Associate  Vice-President
with  Ms Ingeborg Hayes-van Zanten,
International & Cultural Program Director
(left) and Ms Amy Weldon, Coordinator of
Donor Stewardship (right)
From left:  Kim Herhold (UHCL
Asst. Director, Development
Annual Fund), Chris Lusignan
(Director at Large, ICH),
Mun Molloy (President, ICH)
presenting a check to  Dion
McInnis (UHCL Assoc. VP,
Office of Univ. Avancement)
and Leslie Wells (UHCL Asst.
Director, Scholarships).