MacKenzie Scott’s Billion Dollar Giving to HBCUs Continues to Reshape Higher Education
MacKenzie Scott’s generosity toward Historically Black Colleges and Universities underscores a deeper message.
The 55 year old, who since the 2020 global pandemic has donated more than $1 billion to various HBCUs across the country, has done so with no strings or expectations attached. As the Trump administration continues its push against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across workplaces and college campuses, Scott has taken a different approach, using her philanthropy to amplify Black colleges and organizations.
In 2025, she donated $70 million each to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the United Negro College Fund.
A Personal Philosophy Rooted in Experience
In an essay shared on Yield Giving last December, Scott explained that several experiences during her college years helped shape her approach to giving. She recalled a dentist who provided free care for a broken tooth and a roommate who loaned her $1,000 to keep her from dropping out during her sophomore year.
“It is these ripple effects that make imagining the power of any of our own acts of kindness impossible,” Scott wrote.
Full List of HBCU Donations Since 2020
The full list of HBCUs Scott has donated to since 2020 includes:
Alabama State University: $38 million (2025)
Alcorn State University: $42 million (2025)
Bowie State University: $50 million (2025); $25 million (2020)
Claflin University: $20 million (2020)
Clark Atlanta University: $38 million (2025); $15 million (2020)
Delaware State University: $20 million (2020)
Dillard University: $19 million (2025); $5 million (2020)
Elizabeth City State University: $42 million (2026); $15 million (2020)
Hampton University: $30 million (2020)
Howard University: $80 million (2025); $40 million (2020)
Lincoln University (PA): $25 million (2025); $20 million (2020)
Morehouse College: $20 million (2020)
Morgan State University: $63 million (2025); $40 million (2020)
Norfolk State University: $50 million (2025); $40 million (2020)
North Carolina A&T State University: $45 million (2020)
Prairie View A&M University: $63 million (2025); $50 million (2020)
Spelman College: $38 million (2025); $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: $50 million (2025)
Voorhees University: $19 million (2025)
Winston Salem State University: $50 million (2025)
Xavier University of Louisiana: $38 million (2025); $20 million (2020)
Breaking Down the Numbers
Scott donated $451 million to HBCUs in 2020, followed by $701 million in 2025. That total rises to more than $771 million when including the United Negro College Fund donation.
Adding her most recent $42 million gift to Elizabeth City State University brings her total giving to more than $1.1 billion over six years.
How Schools Are Using the Funds
The donations come at a time when large scale, unrestricted gifts are rare. Universities have the flexibility to allocate funds toward scholarships, facility upgrades, endowments and other institutional priorities.
Each school has outlined its own plans. Elizabeth City State University has committed to creating endowed scholarships, strengthening academic programs and improving campus infrastructure. Howard University plans to direct $17 million of its $80 million gift toward a new Academic Medical Center for its College of Medicine.
Prairie View A&M University has used its funding to expand scholarships and academic support services, among other campus improvements.
Paying It Forward
For Scott, her time at Princeton, where she was mentored by acclaimed author Toni Morrison, played a lasting role in shaping both her writing and her worldview.
“She has given me a real example of a life of passionate devotion to more than one calling,” Scott said in a 2017 interview.
Now, that influence is showing up in her philanthropy, as she continues investing in students and institutions that have long played a critical role in higher education across the country.
