Mackenzie Scott’s new wave of HBCU donations is the largest philanthropic impact in Black higher education
Mackenzie Scott HBCU endowments continue to transform the financial future of historically black colleges and universities. With the newest round of gifts announced in 2025, it has already made more of an impact 60 hbcusboth through direct institutional checks and through massive investment in the Uncf pooled mercenary fund. These unrestricted donations come at a time when institutions Howard University and Morgan State It is experiencing historic growth, and its mobile phone has become one of the most transformative forces in black higher education.
Why Mackenzie Scott HBCU Donations
Scott’s approach is simple: Unlimited financing. Unlike restricted gifts that are spent in specific ways, gifts allow HBCUs to maintain modesty, expand scholarships, renovate facilities, support student needs, and plan for the long term. This aligns with a broader pace to reduce the funding gap over decades, something regularly covered in HBCU Buzz. The scale and flexibility of Mackenzie Scott HBCU endowments redefined philanthropic expectations for black institutions.
Direct recipients: HBCUS who have received individual, unrestricted gifts
Below is a complete list of HBCUs that have confirmed admission direct donationstogether with amount and year.
Direct institutional gifts (in alphabetical order)
- Alabama State University – $38 million (2025)
- Alcorn State University – $42 million (2025)Part of the Open earlier 2020 wave
- Bowie State University – $50m (2025)Open $25 million (2020)
- CLAFLIN University – $20 million (2020)
- Clark Atlanta University – $38 million (2025)Open $15 million (2020)
- Delaware State University – $20 million (2020)
- Dillard University – $5M (2020)
- Elizabeth City State University – $15 million (2020)
- Hampton University – $30 million (2020)
- Howard University – $80 million (2025)Open $40 million (2020)
- University of Lincoln (PA) – $20 million (2020)
- at MoreHouse College – $20 million (2020)
- Morgan State University – $63 million (2025)Open $40 million (2020)
- Norfolk State University – $40 million (2025)Open $40 million (2020)
- North Carolina A & T State University – $45 million (2025)Open $45 million (2020)
- Check out Prairie A & M University – $63 million (2025)Open $50 million (2020)
- Spelman College – $38 million (2025)Open $20 million (2020)
- Tougaloo College – $6 million (2020)
- Tuskegee University – $20 million (2020)
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) – $38 million (2025)
- Virginia State University – $50m (2025)
- University of Voorhees – $19M (2025)Open earlier $4M (2020)
- Winston-Salem State University – $50m (2025)
- Xavier University of Louisiana – $20 million (2020)
These direct gifts alone represent good 1 billion dollars in aggregate support—one of the largest philanthropic redistributions toward black education in American history.
Uncf Fund Follow-up: 37 Additional HBCus Receive Core Support
In addition to direct checks, Scott also contributed 70 million dollars to Uncef’s pooled tender fund In 2025. This fund is getting stronger 37 Uncf -her specific HBCUSAlthough individual amounts are not declared as direct checks, they provide long-term sensible growth.
Below is a list including the year (2025) for the pooled effect. Schools that appear directly on the gift list are also listed ★.
Scott Member HBCUS Scott’s $70 Million Pooled Gift (2025)
(Amount per organization varies by sensitivity structure; exact figures not disclosed individually)
- Allan University (2025)
- Benedict College (2025)
- Bennett College (2025)
- Bethune-Cookman University (2025)
- Claflin University ★ (2025)
- Clark Atlanta University ★ (2025)
- Dillard University ★ (2025)
- Edward Waters University (2025)
- Fish University (2025)
- Florida Memorial University (2025)
- Huston-Tillotson University (2025)
- Interdenominational Theological Center (2025)
- Jarvis Christian University (2025)
- Johnson C. Smith University (2025)
- Lane College (2025)
- Lemoyne-Owen College (2025)
- Livingstone College (2025)
- Miles College (2025)
- MoreHouse College ★ (2025)
- Morris College (2025)
- Oakwood University (2025)
- Paine College (2025)
- Philander Smith University (2025)
- Rust College (2025)
- University of Saint Augustine (2025)
- Shaw University (2025)
- Spelman College ★ (2025)
- Stillman College (2025)
- Talliga College (2025)
- Texas College (2025)
- Tougaloo College ★ (2025)
- Tuskegee University ★ (2025)
- Virginia Union University (2025)
- University of Voorhees ★ (2025)
- Wilberforce University (2025)
- Wiley University (2025)
- Xavier University of Louisiana ★ (2025)
A transformative moment for black higher education
MacKenzie Scott HBCU donations now touch more 60 institutionsCollective impact is history. For decades of spending on campuses, these gifts accelerate strategic projects, strengthen long-term financial stability, and open doors for thousands of students who rely on HBCUs as engines of opportunity. From Bowie State to Umes to Spelman, these institutions have a new moment to scale their missions.
HBCU Buzz will continue to follow each update as additional Mackenzie Scott HBCU donations are announced and as institutions share how they plan to use these unprecedented resources.
