Students on the Spelman College campus in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023.
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has given Atlanta's Spelman College a $38-million gift, the latest in a series of donations to support the nation's historically Black colleges and universities.
Spelman officials say the unrestricted gift will help the university address two of its strategic priorities: Expanding financial aid to ensure student access and affordability, and improving its technology infrastructure.
"This investment is a powerful affirmation of our mission and our commitment to educational excellence and equity," Spelman interim President Rosalind "Roz" Brewer said in a statement. "The flexibility of this gift allows us to move more swiftly to strengthen the entire student experience, modernize our technology infrastructure, and expand financial opportunity for scholars who call Spelman home. It is an investment in both our present and our future as we continue to advance our legacy of producing change-making global leaders."
This is the second gift from Scott, a novelist who received the bulk of her fortune after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. In 2020, she gave the women's college $20 million to support its student scholarships and endowment.
In 2019, Scott signed the Giving Pledge, promising to donate more than half her wealth. HBCUs have been among her favorite grantees. In September, she donated $70 million to the UNCF, the nation's largest private provider of scholarships to minority students.
Over the weekend, Howard University officials announced that it had received an $80 million unrestricted gift from Scott, bringing the total she had donated to the Washington, D.C. university to $132 million.
In Atlanta, Scott had previously donated to Atlanta's Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
more :Spelman College receives $38 million ‘unrestricted’ gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott
SOURCE :cbsnews