Khators donate $100,000 to Tier One

In their continuing efforts to push UH forward, President Renu Khator and her husband Suresh, associate dean of the Cullen College of Engineering, have given more than $100,000 to create the Renu and Suresh Khator UH Tier One Scholarship Endowment. Combined with matched funding, this donation gave $200,000 to the Tier One Scholarship Program.

“The University of Houston offers more than $150 million in aid and scholarship(s) each year to freshmen and transfer students. Most of it is need-based, but a few, including Tier One Scholarships, are based on merit,” Khator said.

“Offering scholarships to freshmen, whether need-based or merit-based, encourages them to attend college, and more specifically, to choose UH.”

The Tier One Scholarship program admits students who have a combined math and critical reading SAT score of at least 1300, were ranked in the top 10 percent of their class and were admitted to the University in the fall semester following their high school graduation, in accordance with the guidelines from the Tier One website.

With the recent donation, the program will be able to offer as many as 200 more merit-based scholarships to noteworthy freshmen.

According to the Tier One Scholarship website, recipients are offered $39,600 for tuition and fees for four years, $18,000 for two years of room and board and an additional $1,000 for research and $2,000 to study abroad.

“I think it’s a good thing that they’re giving these opportunities if you’ve made a 1300 or above. It’s more of an incentive for students to try to come to this school, to this campus,” said print journalism senior Michelle Iracheta.

“There are a lot of competing schools … in the state and in the country where students can go to, and not only are they offering the incentive of getting into the school, but they’re also offering these extra added things like studying abroad. They’re being more competitive.”

The program’s history dates back to 2009, when an anonymous donation of $7 million spurred Khator to challenge the UH community to match donations and create a scholarship program for high-achieving students. The program began the next year and has featured Texas Scholars and high school valedictorians since then.

“Student success is my top priority, and this gift represents a very real commitment on our part to support it, since providing financial aid and scholarships is such a crucial element in our students being successful,” Khator said. “Suresh and I are honored to be able to take this step, and we know this gift will help make our Tier One Scholarship Program that much stronger.”

With matched donations, UH is only $500,000 away from its final goal of $14 million. Khator is confident the community will help the University reach that goal.

“Our enlightened supporters realize how important it is to recruit talented and exceptional students, those who will become the leaders of tomorrow, and I’m confident they will step up and help us meet this final part of the challenge.”

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