Texas State University welcomes Terry Foundation affiliation

SAN MARCOS – Starting the fall of 2004, Texas State University-San Marcos can count itself among the exclusive list of Terry Foundation scholarship beneficiaries.

Approximately 16 Texas State freshmen will become Terry Scholars in the next academic year, with additional scholarships awarded annually thereafter. Counting Texas State, only four universities participate in the program. The Terry Foundation is already the largest source of private scholarships at both the University of Texas and Texas A&M University, while the University of Houston will enter the program along with Texas State in the fall of 2004.

Initially, the Terry Foundation planned to bring Texas State into the program for fall 2005, but Texas State so impressed representatives of the foundation during the initial visit that the process was accelerated by a full year. Houston philanthropist Howard Terry, co-founder of the foundation, is expected to visit the Texas State campus in February, along with the foundation board of directors. “ We are delighted to be part of this scholarship program,” said Texas State President Denise Trauth, “and of course, we are proud of the university for being put on the fast track for approval.

“ We are grateful for the foresight shown by the Terrys and the Terry Foundation in their support of higher education in Texas,” she said. “We are proud to have Texas State selected for participate in one of the premier scholarship programs in the nation.”

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. Leadership, academic excellence and financial need are criteria considered during the selection process.

“ As the costs of higher education in Texas continue to escalate, scholarship providers such as the Terry Foundation become increasingly important,” said Texas State Vice President of Student Affairs James Studer. “We applaud the Terry Foundation for its commitment to make the dream of a college education a reality for outstanding Texas students and their families.”

The scholarship program at Texas State will be managed by the Office of Student Financial Aid, which will work in collaboration with the Texas State Honors Program to identify faculty mentors for Terry Scholars. Prospective students interested in the program should complete the general scholarship application available from the Office of Student Financial Aid. The Terry Foundation does not accept applications directly from students--nominations are accepted only through the university.

The Terry Foundation is a Houston-based scholarship program founded to provide full scholarships to outstanding Texas high school graduates for attendance at public colleges and universities within the state. Established in 1986 by Howard Terry and his wife, Nancy, the foundation has assisted hundreds of Terry Scholars in meeting the founders’ goal of helping young people to help themselves. To date, the Terry Foundation has assisted more than 1,000 Texas college students.