2026 East End Scholarship Program

In 2025, the Houston East End Chamber of Commerce Foundation awarded $32,300 in scholarships to East End high school seniors seeking a two or four-year degree. The Foundation is committed to supporting the educational needs of area students and has awarded over $660,000 in scholarships in the last 23 years.

East End Scholars are students who are seeking a bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree, or a two-year certification, and have demonstrated leadership, academic excellence and community stewardship. The Scholars program will consist of career guidance and networking opportunities with Chamber members.

Scholars are required to be full-time students at a college or university, maintain a minimum 2.5 overall grade point average and provide support to the East End Scholars program a minimum of one year after acceptance of the scholarship.

• March 16, 2026 | Application Deadline

• March 23 2026 | Initial Selection Notification

• April 9, 10, & 13, 2026 | Interview Selection

• May 19 2026 | Education Symposium – Attendance is mandatory

• July 16, 2026 | Mentor/Mentee Send-Off Luncheon – Attendance is mandatory

• December 17, 2026 | Holiday Scholar Luncheon – Attendance is mandatory

*Dates & Locations are subject to change

Eligibility Requirements: To be eligible to apply for or to be awarded a Scholarship, an applicant must:

1. Be a citizen or resident of the United States. If the applicant’s transcript reflects a place of birth other than the United States, appropriate proof of citizenship must be furnished (i.e., a copy of the photo page of a valid U.S. passport, a copy of Naturalization Certificate or a birth certificate for U.S. Citizen born abroad). Applications submitted without proof of citizenship will not be considered

2. Reside in the East End Chamber’s coverage area (77003, 77011, 77012, 77017, 77020, 77023, 77029, 77034, 77061, 77075, 77087, 77502, 77506, 77547, 77587)

3. Be a graduating senior in the 2025-2026 school year

4. Provide verification of GPA at the completion of the first semester of senior year

5. Provide copies of minimum 20 ACT score and 1000 SAT score

6. Provide two letters of reference from school or community organization officials

7. Provide college and/or university acceptance letter

8. Submit a copy of volunteer service records reflecting a minimum of 8 hours

9. Provide a copy of your 2026-2027 FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS)

10. Expression of financial need through essay

11. Candidates must be willing to interview with the selection committee in April of 2026 (you will be contacted if you have been selected for an interview) and must attend the Chamber’s Education Symposium Event on May 2026 to accept your scholarship

12. Candidates will be required to commit to maintaining a relationship with the Chamber by volunteering a minimum of (8) hours out of the year, sharing progress with the staff and actively participating in the mentor/mentee program

Selection Criteria: Applicants will be judged with equal emphasis on (1) educational preparation of candidate, (2) expressed desire of the candidate to complete a certification or degree, (3) proven community and/or civic involvement, (4) financial need and (5) content and completeness of application

Selection Process: Winners will be selected by the Houston East End Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Committee. Top candidates will be selected on the basis of written applications and will be interviewed with the selection committee prior to final selection

Confidentiality: All information submitted by the applicant will be held in strict confidence by the scholarship committee and used only with the prior consent of the applicant

Award Winners: The scholarship is not transferable and may not be sold or used by anyone other than the named applicant. The scholarship will be awarded to the named applicant upon presentation of an acceptance letter from the intended college or university. Scholarship money may be used at an in-state or out of state school. Scholarship money will be mailed directly to the college or university the named applicant has selected