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Staff Council

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.

  • Staff Council & Women and Gender Resource Center Scholarships

    Staff Council and the Women and Gender Resource center are dedicated to providing staff members with financial support while they advance their education by attending academic courses during the fall, spring, or summer semesters at University of Houston. Each academic year, Staff Council provides 10 $1,000 scholarships and the Women and Gender Resource Cener provides five $1,000 scholarships. Applications for both scholarships are accepted via one form.

  • Staff Council B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship

    B. Renae Milton, University of Houston alumna, long-time staff member, former Staff Council program manager, and champion of family-friendly policies, put three sons through college. Inspired by her service, commitment, and philosophy, the Staff Council B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship honors B. Renae Milton by providing $500 scholarships to University of Houston students who are dependents of a staff member.

  • Staff Council Rebecca Szwarc Professional Development Reimbursement

    Rebecca Szwarc, 1953-2017, was a Staff Council member for over 16 years who had a passion for learning and helping others learn. To honor her legacy, the Staff Council reimbursement program provides staff members financial assistance when in pursuit of professional development.

Staff Council scholarships are made possible by continuous support from the President's Office and fellow staff members.  

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 SC/WGRC Staff Council & Women and Gender Resource Center Scholarships - University of Houston (uh.edu)

For Students or Staff

Q: What are the criteria for SC/WGRC Scholarship?

A: Applicant should be a full-time, benefit-eligible staff with a minimum of one-year employment history at UH. For additional information, please see Staff Council & Women and Gender Resource Center Scholarships - University of Houston (uh.edu)

Q: What are the criteria for the B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship?

A: The parent of the Applicant must be a full-time, benefit-eligible staff with a minimum of one-year employment history at UH. For additional information, please see here.

Q: Am I eligible to apply for the SC/WGRC 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/WGRC 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 B. Renae Milton Students of Staff Scholarship apply to TA, CWS, etc?

A: Your parent should be a full-time, benefit-eligible staff with a minimum of one-year employment history at UH. For additional information, please see here.

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 SC/WGRC 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/WGRC 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.

FERPA Form

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.