SHSU Selected For Terry Foundation Scholarship Program

Oct. 30, 2013
SHSU Media Contact: Julia May

The Terry Foundation—the state’s largest private scholarship program—will expand to include students from Sam Houston State University beginning next fall.

“We congratulate Sam Houston State University on its addition to the Terry scholar family,” said Yvonne R. Moody, executive director of the foundation. “Terry scholars at SHSU will benefit from the university’s outstanding academic programs and growing national reputation for excellence.

“We are honored to be associated with an institution of such prominence and look forward to the first SHSU scholarship awards in the fall of 2014,” she said.

Terry scholarships are awarded for a student’s freshman year of college and are renewable annually at the discretion of the foundation’s board of directors for up to eight semesters. The award covers the cost of tuition, fees, books, on-campus room and board, as well as miscellaneous expenses, for four years as long as the student meets the requirements set forth by the foundation. Students in any discipline may apply.

Mary Robbins, associate vice president for academic affairs, will be the administrator of the program at SHSU.

“We are using this year to prepare for the processes and programs needed to bring these scholars on campus,” Robbins said. “We are looking for students who possess academic excellence, a track record of demonstrated leadership, and show financial need.”

The first class of 16 Terry scholars at SHSU will be selected from a group of 33 finalists and 12 alternates.

Students must first apply to and be accepted by the university, then go through the Scholar X website to apply for the Terry scholarship.

“We will first look through the applications to verify the GPA and especially see if the applicant has the leadership component,” Robbins said. “Then, we will submit our list of names to the Terry Foundation. They will conduct personal interviews in Houston during the spring of 2014 and will then notify us of our 16 scholars.”

The students will live on campus in Lone Star Hall during their first year of college. They will also take a class together, taught by Robbins, and will set up a student organization.

“When the Terrys established their foundation, they stressed that they wanted their scholars to be a family,” Robbins said. “They wanted the students to form a tight bond with each other and to encourage each other to give back after graduating—not just to the Terry Foundation, but to their university and to their community.

“The Terrys also emphasized that they expected the scholars to use their leadership skills for the good of others,” she said. “I think Sam Houston State University is perfect for helping the students achieve those goals. We have such a close, nurturing relationship with our students to begin with. It’s really just a good fit for us to host the program on our campus.”

In addition to living together, the foundation requires their scholars to attend an orientation and banquet in the fall and a picnic in the spring, which provides an opportunity for all Terry scholars in the state to get together.

“The scholars will also have other requirements to fulfill relating to leadership and service outside of those specified by the foundation,” said Robbins.

Howard and Nancy Terry were long-time residents of Houston, where Mr. Terry was successful in a variety of businesses, ranging from banking to oil and gas. In 1986, the Terry family decided to help young people to help themselves by setting up an educational foundation. Mr. Terry had always expressed gratitude for the financial assistance that enabled him to go to college, so the Terrys decided to dedicate their time and resources to giving future generations of young people in Texas the same opportunity.

Universities with Terry Foundation scholarship programs already in place include: The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University at College Station, the University of Houston main campus, Texas State University, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Texas at San Antonio, the University of North Texas, Texas Tech University and Texas Woman’s University.

Texas A&M University at Galveston will join SHSU as the newest associated universities in fall 2014.

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