Students awarded meal plan and textbook scholarships
 
Matt Bactad doesn�t worry about how he is going to pay for his meals as he goes through his freshman year at the University of Houston.

That�s because he is one of 11 students who were awarded a Meal Plan scholarship, which provides a Lifestyle 21 meal plan from UH Dining Services and ARAMARK for both the fall and spring semesters.

�The Meal Plan scholarship helps me out incredibly in that I don�t need to worry about where and how I would get breakfast, lunch or dinner,� said Bactad, who is pursuing a pre-pharmacy degree.

Geoffrey Herbert, resident district manager for UH Dining Services, said the intent in offering the Meal Plan scholarships is to align with President Renu Khator�s goal of making education at UH affordable to all and to help put the true college experience within reach.

�We understand that having a meal plan removes a certain level of stress in a student�s life and offers them a place to not only eat, but study and interact with other students,� he said.

Another seven students received the Barnes & Noble Textbook Scholarship, which provides them $400 for the fall and another $400 for the spring to pay for books and supplies in the UH Bookstore. Bactad also received this scholarship.

�The Barnes & Noble Textbook Scholarship saves me time and money, both of which are valuable to a full-time student like myself,� he said. �I find the bookstore to have everything a student needs to be successful, and with the money awarded to me, I get my materials such as textbooks, binders and pencils conveniently with the peace of mind that I save hundreds of dollars.�

Meal Plan Scholarship recipients include: James Annis, Matt Bactad, Ashley Coates, Sarah Headrick, Trung Le, Oscar Leija, Timothy McClellan, Robynne Monsevalles, Ha Nguyen, Martir Ramos and Paige Savage. The scholarship was awarded to four new/incoming students, four returning students and three transfer students.

Barnes & Noble Textbook Scholarship recipients are: Matt Bactad, Oscar Leija, Robynne Monsevalles, Shaoli Bhadra, Trung Le, Ha Nguyen and Hannah DeRousselle. The scholarship was awarded to three new/incoming students, three returning students and one transfer student.