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Study Abroad Scholarship Program

The growing importance of international affairs to American life cannot be overstated. Advances in technology and transportation over the past half-century have made the world increasingly interconnected. A new era of global exchange has created a marketplace of ideas in which people with distinct social, cultural, religious, and linguistic backgrounds cooperate and compete on a daily basis. Business executives who can perform in a global economy are only one example of professionals with special, internationally oriented skills that our nation will need in the coming decades. Similar skills will be demanded of other professions - journalism, law, teaching, public health, government, and diplomacy.

International education is now commonly regarded as a professional necessity, and many educators believe that students who leave college without having had a significant “globalizing” experience will increasingly be considered less than fully educated.

Opportunities for study abroad can be a particular challenge for undergraduates at the University of Houston where most of our students are not from affluent backgrounds and many have jobs and family responsibilities outside of school. The faculty of the Honors College hope to establish a program that will enable students to expand their exposure and experience with other cultures through study, research, internship opportunities and language programs. Scholarships will offset the additional expenses incurred above and beyond the regular tuition and fees, and keep Honors students current and competitive with their peers at other institutions and competitive for graduate school opportunities.

Houston Endowment Inc. has already established an endowment to support these scholarships that is currently valued at approximately $100,000. Additional fundraising may be undertaken to support study abroad scholarships and other components of the program.

To make a contribution to the Honors College or for additional information, contact James Hays at jwhays@central.uh.edu