Howard University is the latest HBCU to be on the receiving end of philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s generosity. The Washington, D.C., HBCU received an $80 million donation from Scott, one of the largest gifts in the university’s history. Scott has been on a spending spree over the last few months, donating to HBCUs all over the country.
Scott previously donated $52 million to Howard back in 2020 and 2023 in the form of two gifts; with this latest gift, it brings Scott’s total donations to Howard to $132 million. Like all her other donations, this donation to Howard is unrestricted and will go towards Howard and the Howard University College of Medicine. This significant donation adds to the recent string of achievements Howard has made this year. In addition to becoming an R1 institution, Howard was named the top HBCU in the county by LinkedIn and Forbes. U.S. News and World Report reported Howard’s business, computer science, economics, psychology, and criminal and constitutional law programs as the best programs among HBCUs.
According to People, Scott has given more than half a billion dollars to HBCUs since 2019. Her generous contributions have helped institutions that are often overlooked and underfunded. From this gift, the Howard College of Medicine will receive $7 million that will help fund the new Academic Medical Center. This latest addition to campus is in partnership with the College of Engineering and Architecture to help students learn about technology that could impact patient care and other scientific applications in a positive way.
The gift will also be used to support students who need financial help. 70% of students at Howard require some form of financial assistance. To further support Howard as an R1-level research institution, the unrestricted gift will go towards construction and renovation projects to help ensure student success. As the recent federal government shutdown continues, the funds donated by Scott will go towards reserve funds for situations such as this.
In addition to Howard, Scott has donated millions of dollars to other HBCUs in the last few months, including Morgan State University and Virginia State University. Scott recently donated $63 million to Morgan State, the largest individual donation in the school's history. Last month she donated $50 million to Virginia State, her second major donation to the university in five years.
“Ms. Scott’s generosity and trust in our mission will change the trajectory of Virginia State University for generations to come,” said VSU President Dr. Makola M. Abdullah. “Her investment allows us to continue to build upon our legacy of excellence and expand our reach to more students who deserve access to a world-class education. For 143 years, VSU has stood as a beacon of opportunity, and with this transformational gift, our future shines even brighter.”
Outside of donating directly to HBCUs, Scott has also donated funds to organizations that support those institutions as well. In September, she donated $70 million to the United Negro College Fund to the organization’s pooled endowment for its 37 HBCUs.
