A donor makes a $50,000 gift to establish a named endowed scholarship in memory of their spouse for a selected college at UH.
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UH Endowment at a Glance:
Learn how it works!
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UHS Endowments:
Your Impact — Your Legacy
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“It's amazing to realize that people
care about your education and
are willing to help you through it
when they see nothing directly in return.”
— Brady Mills (J.D. Candidate ’25)
Investing in Excellence
The University of Houston System relies on endowed gifts to provide a sustainable foundation for recruiting and supporting the best students and faculty, leading innovative research and building a dynamic Athletics program. These efforts shape our city, state and nation.
What is an Endowment?
While all gifts to UHS contribute to the forward momentum and progress of our universities, endowments are a lasting investment that offer a perpetual source of funding. When you make an endowed gift to UHS, the funds are invested, and a portion of the income earned is distributed annually to support your endowment’s designated purpose.
The investment strategy and distribution policy are determined by the University of Houston Board of Regents. The endowment distribution rate ranges from 4% to 5%, providing annual support while also prudently safeguarding the principal investment.
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Why Are Endowments Important to UHS?
Endowments are a vital source of financial stability for the University of Houston System. Generous support through endowed funds enabled us to distribute more than $37.8 million in the 2022-23 academic year for scholarships, faculty and student research and program costs. Endowments preserve the tradition of an affordable, world-class education that has always been at the heart of the experience at the University of Houston System.
“It’s very important for people like us to be part of the University of Houston so that the coming generation can benefit — just like we benefited from other people’s generosity. There is nothing that pleases me more than to have the ability to give back to my college and university.”
Endowments at a Glance
The following provides an example of how an endowed gift works:
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Step 1
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Step 2
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Step 3
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Step 4
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Step 5
The gift is invested in our pooled endowment, managed by an independent investment manager and retained by the UH System Board of Regents.
A portion of the income earned is distributed annually* to provide scholarship funding, per the gift agreement instructions.
The remainder of the income earned, minus endowment management fees, is reinvested in the named fund’s principal to protect against inflation and to generate growth.
The corpus of the original gift remains intact.
*In order to preserve the corpus of the original gift and sustain an annual distribution, an endowment must be fully funded for at least one year to qualify for any distribution.
Review the chart below to see the minimum levels required to create endowments that benefit University of Houston students, faculty and research. The intended purpose and function of the fund determine its minimum funding levels. Contributions toward an endowment can be made in installments for up to five years.
Minimum Giving Levels — University of Houston
Scholarships | Endowment Minimum |
---|---|
Scholarships | $25,000 |
Graduate Fellowships | $50,000 |
Faculty Position | Endowment Minimum |
Dean’s Chair* | $5 million |
Chair | $1 million |
Aspire Professorship* | $1 million |
Professorship | $500,000 |
College Professorship | $250,000 |
Contact for University of Houston
To learn more about making an endowment gift at University of Houston, please contact Russell Dunlavy, senior associate vice president for university development, at 713.743.4209.
Minimum Giving Levels — University of Houston-Clear Lake
Scholarships | Endowment Minimum |
---|---|
Scholarships | $25,000 |
Graduate Fellowships | $50,000 |
Hawk Advantage Scholarship | $50,000 |
Faculty Position | Endowment Minimum |
Chair | $500,000 |
Professorship | $250,000 |
Other Academic Appointments | $100,000-$250,000 |
Contact for University of Houston-Clear Lake
To learn more about making an endowment gift at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, please contact Joseph L. Staley, vice president for University Advancement, at 281.283.2018.
Minimum Giving Levels — University of Houston-Downtown
Scholarships | Endowment Minimum |
---|---|
Scholarships | $10,000 |
Graduate Fellowships | $50,000 |
Faculty Position | Endowment Minimum |
Chair | $500,000 |
Professorship | $250,000 |
Other Academic Appointments | $100,000-$250,000 |
Contact for University of Houston-Downtown
To learn more about making an endowment gift at University of Houston-Downtown, please contact Javier L. Zambrano, vice president of University Advancement and University Relations, at 713.221.8909.
Minimum Giving Levels — University of Houston-Victoria
Scholarships | Endowment Minimum |
---|---|
Scholarships | $10,000 |
Graduate Fellowships | $50,000 |
Faculty Position | Endowment Minimum |
Chair | $500,000 |
Professorship | $250,000 |
Other Academic Appointments | $100,000-$250,000 |
Contact for University of Houston-Victoria:
To learn more about making an endowment gift at University of Houston-Victoria, please contact Amber Countis, vice president of University Advancement and External Relations, at 361.570.4829.
Endowed Chairs and Professorships
Endowed chairs and professorships are the most prestigious accolades for faculty members, honoring both the donor and the person recognized. These endowed positions drive innovative research, teaching excellence and global collaboration among scholars. To maintain the momentum of this think-tank, we stand behind our brilliant faculty as they tirelessly seek knowledge and uncover new insights.
In the case of endowed chairs and professorships, income from endowment may be used to further scholarly and research endeavors at the University of Houston.
Endowed Scholarships
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Our primary goal at the University of Houston is to support student success, and it is our mission to help students thrive. We are committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of their financial or family background, graduate from college. In order to achieve this, our efforts are focused on eliminating barriers and promoting successful recruitment, retention and graduation rates among our students.
The most pressing barrier we address is financial hardship. Our approach includes increasing scholarship opportunities, minimizing lost credit hours and freezing tuition rates despite inflationary pressures. As a result of these efforts, the average debt carried by our students upon graduation has decreased.
Endowed scholarships help to provide students with the necessary resources to enroll and succeed at UHS. Studies conducted by the University show that 87% of scholarship recipients remain at the University, graduate on time and have higher overall grade point averages. Endowing a scholarship is an excellent way to ensure your legacy at UHS makes an impact on the lives of students for generations to come.
More Information
- Above Water: A term used to describe an endowment whose current market value is more than its corpus
- Book Value (Carrying Value, Fund Balance): The original cost basis of an endowment, plus adjustments for realized gains or losses, additional gifts, external management fees and any other transfers to or from the fund
- Corpus (Historical Gift Value, Historic Dollar Value): Aggregate amount of all contributions by a donor or donors to an endowment (not the same as book value)
- Distributable Income (Income Distribution): The portion of income available for expenditure according to the purpose of the endowment. Policy for determining the amount of distributable income is set by the board.
- Endowment Agreement (Gift Agreement): Written document or records, including an institutional solicitation, under which property (cash, real estate etc.) is donated or granted to the institution and held as an endowment.
- Fully Funded: The term given to an endowment whose historic dollar value equals or exceeds the amount pledged by the donor as stipulated in the endowment agreement
- Income: Interest, dividend income, realized gains and royalties received from the principal of the endowment
- Minimum Funding Level: The minimum corpus level required per the agreement
- Net Asset Value: An amount equal to the total value of the pooled investment fund's assets, less any liabilities to be paid by the fund
- Realized Gain or Loss: The difference (gain or loss) between the value at the time of purchase or other acquisition of an asset, and the market value of that asset at a point in time when the asset is sold
- Restricted Income: Endowment income whose use is restricted by donor instructions
- Endowment: A fund established through a gift with provisions that prohibit the spending of principal. Only investment income generated from the principal may be used.
- Under Water: Term used to describe an endowment with current market value less than its corpus
- Unrestricted Income: Endowment income whose use is not restricted by donor instructions but may be designated for a specific use by an internal component University decision