The Texas Exes Dallas Chapter's scholarship program has been making Longhorns’ dreams come true for the past 25 years. More than 425 students have received nearly $1.5 million in scholarship money from the program. And the chapter's VP of scholarships, Chris Hardesty, BBA ’08, says they’re only getting started.

“Through the tremendous amount of growth we’ve had,” Hardesty says, “you can see how important UT is not only to students and faculty, but also to alumni.”

When the program was first established, it received about 50 to 60 applications per year. Nearly three decades later, that number has skyrocketed—the chapter reviews an an average of 500 applications yearly. The increase in applicants has also upped the number of scholarship evaluators from 10 to 45 people.

“We used to be really localized when we started out,” Hardesty says. “Now scholarship applications are standardized globally across all Texas Exes chapters.”

Both one-time and multi-year awards are made possible by endowments. Some scholarships go to students with unique situations, such as first-generation college students or members of underrepresented groups. The awards typically range from $2,000-$10,000. And then there's the chapter's support of the Forty Acres Scholars Program, the Texas Exes' elite merit-based full-ride that gets students to turn down the likes of Harvard to enroll at UT. The chapter has already funded one $500,000 Forty Acres scholarship and is halfway to creating the second.

The program’s financial success is largely dependent on its generous donors, says Hardesty.

“One thing we like to do is make a video capturing the life-changing impact of what our program does,” he says. “It’s a great way to share our message in a quick four minutes.”

These scholarships don't go to just anyone. Not only are applicants scored on their academics and extracurricular involvement—they must also exhibit the same spirit for the University as any true Longhorn would.

“One of the things I love about UT is the passion for the school and the network. I hope recipients understand how great of an opportunity it is to attend The University of Texas,” Hardesty says. “These scholarships embody the passion and the spirit UT-Austin has as a whole.”

Watch the video here:

https://youtu.be/5p_B6qa-wJI