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Chapter Scholarship Program

Texas Exes Chapter Scholarships benefit entering freshmen, transfer students, and/or students continuing their education at UT. These students are selected by Texas Exes members who volunteer with their local chartered chapter. The Texas Exes Chapters’ volunteer leaders also work year-round to raise the funding for their awards. Find your Chapter

The Association is deeply grateful to The Texas Exes throughout the world who have contributed their time, talent, and funds to help select and recognize these outstanding students.

The Eyes of Texas Annual Giving Fund provides up to $500 in a matching gift to each chartered Texas Exes chapter that awards a scholarship to a NEW UT student. The students are given their scholarship checks* at the Chapter Scholarship Awards Banquet held at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center.

*Awards exceeding $3,000 will be paid in two equal checks, one delivered in September for the Fall Semester, and the other one in January for the Spring Semester. Students not able to attend the Fall Awards Banquet or receiving Spring checks are given one month in which to claim their checks, after which unclaimed funds are returned to the chapter’s account.

Each chapter can set its own criteria for making these awards in addition to the Association’s basic required criteria:

• The minimum cash award shall be $500. (Smaller awards or supplemental awards can be made in the form of a Camp Texas registration fee or the Texas Exes Student Chapter membership fee.)
• Financial need definitely should be considered. Annual UT costs for Texas residents are now approaching $18,000. Room and Board costs are a large part of this figure (housing costs in Austin remain quite high), but books and required fees now often exceed $4,000 per semester.
• Scholarship awards will be approved only if made to students admitted and enrolled at UT Austin.
• Student-athletes are not eligible for a Texas Exes Chapter Scholarship award.
• The Texas Exes Chapter Scholarship Application must be submitted for each student. High School transcripts and letters of recommendation are no longer required and should not be sent.
• The Texas Exes Chapter Scholarship Report Form must be completed and submitted by the chapter for final approval by the Association’s Scholarship Committee by June 1 of the year in which Fall Semester awards are to be made. Any funds needed from the chapter to supplement amounts available in Austin to fund the recommended awards are also due by June 1.

Scholarship Chair Quick Reference

Turn in by June 1st:

• Chapter Scholarship Report Form
• Student Application Form
• Chapter’s Funds for Scholarships
• Paperwork may be faxed to the attention of Derrick Miller, 512/471-8096 or mailed with funds to his attention at P. O. Box 7278, Austin, TX 78713.

The Year-long Process

• Distribute applications to all local high school and junior college counselors
• Make sure the chapter’s criteria, contact name, address, and phone numbers are included on applications
• Establish a selection committee (minimum of three individuals)
• Select recipients
• Contact Association staff to confirm student eligibility
• Notify all applicants
• Hold an event to honor recipients locally - or announce the chapter’s awards at the student’s High School Honors Day event
• Announce the awards in local newspapers

Endowed Funds

• Endowments are managed by the Association’s Investments Committee
• Endowments require a minimum of $7,500 for Texas Exes chapters. The chapter can begin depositing with a smaller amount to save toward an endowment.
• Endowments allow for scholarships to be offered continually in perpetuity from investment earnings. They relieve the pressure of annual fund-raising for the chapter. The current policy is for an endowed fund’s market value to be averaged as of the end of the calendar year over the previous 12 quarters. 4.7% of that average can be disbursed as scholarships for the next academic year, with a small percentage from each fund also paid for administrative fees. A fund must be in investment for a full calendar year before disbursement can begin.

The Association must manage all Chapter funds earmarked for scholarships, except those to be awarded in the upcoming academic year.

"Exes For Texas"

The "Exes For Texas" recruiting program, jointly sponsored by Texas Exes and UT’s Freshman Admissions Center, coordinates alumni contact with prospective students to communicate the opportunities at UT. Personal contact between alumni and students can take many forms: local college night programs, letter writing/e-mailing, phone calls, or organizing recruitment receptions.

"Exes For Texas" is a good activity for any local involvement group because anyone can do it, it doesn’t cost anything, and the involvement with those bright young students is very rewarding! Amy Yearwood in UT’s Office of Admissions is happy to pull an admitted students list for you as soon as it is available in the Spring each year. This list is tentatively available by March. Please contact her to get that list.

Alumni can help to dispel myths that are commonly believed, such as that there are large numbers of out-of-state and/or international students admitted; yet the undergraduate composition from these two groups totals only about 10%. For more Freshman Admissions info check out Be A Longhorn.

Alumni volunteers can be very helpful to UT in the spring -- encouraging admitted students to enroll before May 1, when the enrollment deposit of $200 is due. Students need to understand that admission can be rescinded if they do not pay (or have that fee waived) by May 1.

For further information, please visit the "Exes For Texas" web site or contact Amy Yearwood at UT Freshman Admissions Center.

Questions?

Derrick Miller (512) 471-3812, fax: (512) 471-8096
Texas Exes Chapter Scholarships Coordinator

Amy Yearwood (512) 475-7462, fax: (512) 475-7475
Assistant Director of Admissions, Freshman Admissions Center
John Hargis Hall, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712-1157

Eyes for Texas

Scholarship Chair Quick Reference

Year-Long Process

Endowed Funds

Questions?