Scholarships & Professional Development
Staff Council offers University of Houston staff members various scholarship and professional development opportunities. These programs instill a sense of unity, pride, and achievement in staff that empowers the overall UH community in its journey toward the next milestone of excellence.
Q: When does the Staff Council start accepting applications?
A: Staff Council starts to accept scholarship applications from the 1st of March to the 31st of March. Any application deadline extensions will be published on the Staff Council website.
Q: Where is the link for the scholarship application form?
A: For Staff Council Scholarships - University of Houston (uh.edu)
For Staff Council B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship
Q: What are the criteria for Staff Council Scholarship?
A:To be considered for these scholarships, the staff member must meet the following criteria.
- Must be employed in a full-time, benefits-eligible position at the UH Main, UH at Katy, or UH at Sugar Land campus for at least one year as of March 1st of the application year, unless otherwise noted.
- Must be in good academic standing.
- Must demonstrate a strong commitment to academic excellence and the potential to succeed.
- Must still be employed by the University on the first day of class of the semester in which the scholarship is to be disbursed.
Applicants must meet the scholarship criteria and submit the requested application and coversheet information. Incomplete packets will not be reviewed.
For additional information, please see Staff Council Scholarship
Q: What are the criteria for the B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship?
A:To be considered for the Staff Council B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship, the student and UH staff member must meet the following criteria.
The UH staff member:
- Must be employed in a full-time, benefits-eligible position at the UH Main, UH at Katy, or UH at Sugar Land campus for at least one year as of March 1st of the application year.
- Must demonstrate a strong commitment to staff excellence and service to the University.
- Must still be employed by the University on the first day of class in the semester
in which the scholarship is to be awarded to their dependent.
The student candidate:
- Must be dependent of a UH Main, UH at Katy, or UH at Sugar Land campus staff member.
- Must be a full-time, degree-seeking student in good academic standing at the UH main campus.
- Must demonstrate a strong commitment to academic excellence, the potential to succeed, and contribution to the university and/or surrounding community.
Applicants must meet the scholarship criteria and submit the requested application and coversheet information. Incomplete packets will not be reviewed.
For additional information, please see Students or Staff.
Q: Am I eligible to apply for the Staff Council Scholarship if I am the recipient in previous years?
A: Yes, prior year award recipients are welcome to apply every year.
Q: Can I apply for both Staff Council Scholarship and HR Staff Scholarship at the same time?
A: Yes, these 2 scholarships are not related, and we encourage you to apply for both.
Q: Does student employment, such as CWS, Non-CWS, TA, or other undergraduate/graduate positions, qualify me as a full-time employee at the University of Houston?
A: No.
A Staff Council Scholarships applicant must be a full-time, benefit-eligible staff with a minimum of one-year employment history at UH.
The parent/guardian of a B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship applicant must be a full-time, benefit-eligible staff with a minimum of one-year employment history at UH.
Refer to the scholarship criteria for more information.
Q: Can I use a recommendation letter from outside of UH?
A: You may include a recommendation letter from outside UH, such as a previous employer, teacher, or organization. Please remember to include your recommendation letters in your application package.
Q: If I am just accepted into the Ph.D. program at UH, am I eligible to apply for the Staff Council Scholarship?
A: Yes
Q: If I am admitted to UH as a Freshman, can I still apply for the B. Renae Milton Students of Staff scholarship?
A: Yes, you can use your High School grade for your application.
Q: I am very interested and intend to apply for the scholarship. I see that the requirements highlight an academic credit course. Does this exclude certification programs offered through UH?
A: Unfortunately, the Staff Council scholarship only applies towards UH academic credit courses. For non-UH academic credit course financial assistance, please visit Staff Council Rebecca Szwarc Professional Development Reimbursement - University of Houston (uh.edu)
Q: What is FERPA?
A: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (a.k.a. FERPA or the Buckley Amendment) protects a student’s right to privacy concerning their academic records and information. The University of Houston will not disclose any information without the written consent from the student, with some exceptions as stated by FERPA. There are some types of information such as grades, financial aid, or class schedules that parents might like to receive but under FERPA, parents can not have access to these records unless the student gives written permission to the University. This means that even if you are paying the bills, you can not access your student’s educational records.
To learn more, visit here.
Q: What records does FERPA cover?
A: FERPA regulations give privacy protection to all students’ “educational records”. Education records are broadly defined as “those records that are directly related to a student and are maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a party acting for the agency or institution.” Examples of FERPA records include grades, transcripts, discipline records and class schedules.
Staff Council scholarships are made possible by continuous support from the President's Office and fellow staff members.
- Give Online: You can pledge to the scholarship and professional development reimbursement funds
online by visiting UH Gives Back.
Give to Staff Council Rebecca Szwarc Professional Development Reimbursement-HC54402RN and the Staff Council B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship-HC54401RN