After decades of chronic underinvestment, historically Black colleges and universities are finally seeing an influx of support on a scale that matches their national impact. Since the start of the 2025 school year, more than a dozen HBCUs have received over $700 million in unrestricted gifts from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott—funding that leaders say will strengthen their institutions for generations, as reported by ABC News.
The surge helps close one of higher education’s starkest gaps. A 2023 study found that Ivy League universities received $5.5 billion in foundation support compared with just $45 million for 99 HBCUs in 2019—a disparity of 178 to 1. HBCU endowments remain, on average, 70 percent smaller than those of predominantly white institutions.
This fall, Scott donated $80 million to Howard University, with $17 million earmarked for its medical school—one of the largest gifts in the institution’s 158-year history. The timing reinforces Howard’s growing presence as a leading research institution: in February 2025, it became the first HBCU to receive the prestigious R1 Carnegie Classification, awarding more doctorates to Black students than any other university in America.
Other major recipients include Morgan State University ($63 million), Prairie View A&M ($63 million), Bowie State ($50 million), Virginia State ($50 million), and Alcorn State ($42 million)—all representing the largest individual contribution in each school’s history.
“[Scott’s] generosity arrives at a pivotal moment in our 160-year story,” Bowie State President Dr. Aminta H. Breaux wrote in a statement. “It empowers us to expand access, elevate our research and academic excellence, and uplift generations of students who will lead, serve and innovate. Higher education is the pathway to upward social mobility for our students and the communities we serve, and, with this gift, their futures are brighter than ever.”
What makes the donations especially transformative is their flexibility. Unlike most philanthropic funding, Scott’s gifts come with no restrictions on how they must be used, allowing campuses to invest in the areas they identify as most urgent, from scholarships and research infrastructure to housing, technology, and community programs.
Scott also contributed $70 million to the UNCF pooled endowment, which aims to build a $370 million fund supporting 37 member HBCUs. UNCF President Dr. Michael L. Lomax described the shift plainly: “She is rewriting the book on philanthropy, not just in this country, but in the world.”
Through her organization Yield Giving, Scott has now distributed more than $19 billion total to nonprofits. Her HBCU donations alone exceed $1 billion—one of the largest philanthropic investments in Black higher education in U.S. history.
For institutions that have educated generations of Black doctors, engineers, teachers, artists, and leaders, the support signals a long-overdue recognition. Their impact has always been outsized. Now, the investment is finally beginning to match it.
