Our Mission
The UST Micro Credit Program is a student-operated academic program that assists impoverished individuals around the globe with starting loans to launch income-generating businesses. The loans provided by the program are interest free and they are meant to help these micro entrepreneurs become self-reliant while promoting principles of freedom, fairness, and democracy around the world. As a student-run program, the MCP works to generate social change by calling on students, university peers, and the Houston and global communities to participate with their grains of sand in the efforts to eradicate poverty around the world.

The Educational Experience
United we can overcome poverty with dignity  

The program serves as a mechanism to further UST’s mission as a Catholic Institution of higher education and it offers UST students the opportunity to combat global poverty by incorporating both theory and practice, while learning about other cultures and religions, promoting understanding, helping to emphasize our similarities, contributing to a global dialogue of peace and respect, and helping the world’s working poor to achieve economic independence.  

Students from any major may participate in the MCP, and every student’s effort leads to greater avenues of constructing a more just world. To learn how you can get involved click here or visit our Board member page.

Poverty Alleviation
One very basic reason for poverty is that the poor lack opportunities to improve their lives. They also lack access to tools of the modern world, such as financial capital. The UST MicroCredit Program provides this financial capital through microloans which help our beneficiaries to develop small business ventures.

Focus on Women
Women receive 75% of our loans.  As the female population becomes more economically active they create the financial means for sustainable development. When a woman develops and grows a business, it has a positive impact on their family and their entire community. Future generations benefit from the food, shelter, and financial access to education that arises from the MicroCredit program

Contact Us
The MicroCredit program appreciates the opportunity to share our mission and objectives with the community.  To inquire about the Program, please contact us by email at microcredit@stthom.edu, by telephone at 713.525.3530, or by mail at University of St. Thomas MicroCredit Program, University of St. Thomas, 3800 Montrose, Houston, Texas 77006.