Howard University has announced an extraordinary $80 million unrestricted gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, one of the largest in the university’s history. The donation, which includes $17 million earmarked for the Howard University College of Medicine, further deepens Scott’s ongoing commitment to the nation’s most prestigious HBCU. When combined with her previous gifts of $40 million in 2020 and $12 million in 2023, her total contributions to Howard University now stand at a remarkable $132 million.
A Defining Moment for Howard University
The $80 million investment will help accelerate Howard’s momentum as a top-tier research institution and a global leader in higher education. This year, the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education elevated Howard to the elite “R1” classification, signifying the highest level of research activity in the nation. The university has also earned national recognition from LinkedIn, Forbes, and U.S. News & World Report as the top HBCU and a model for academic excellence in fields such as business, computer science, and law.
Howard’s College of Medicine, the first and oldest medical school at an HBCU, will receive a portion of the gift to support a new Academic Medical Center and expand its innovation center created through Scott’s 2023 donation. Founded in 1868, the College of Medicine has trained generations of groundbreaking doctors, including Dr. Charles Drew, Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall Jr., and current Dean Dr. Andrea Hayes Dixon—the nation’s first Black female pediatric surgeon.
Investing in Students and Access
In keeping with MacKenzie Scott’s philosophy of empowering institutions that advance equity, the unrestricted funds will also help Howard University strengthen financial aid and student support systems. Roughly 70% of Howard students demonstrate significant financial need, with more than 40% qualifying for Pell Grants. The new investment ensures that Howard can continue to provide opportunities for talented students regardless of their socioeconomic background, reinforcing its status as the nation’s top university for social mobility.
Continuing a Legacy of Giving to HBCUs
MacKenzie Scott has become one of the most consequential benefactors in the history of higher education. Since 2019, she has donated more than half a billion dollars to HBCUs, including recent gifts of $63 million to Morgan State University, $50 million to Virginia State University, and $42 million to Alcorn State University. Her philanthropy has helped these schools expand research, improve retention, and modernize their campuses, according to studies from Rutgers University and other institutions.
MacKenzie Scott and Toni Morrison
Scott’s connection to Howard University runs deeper than philanthropy—it’s personal. Nobel laureate Toni Morrison, a Howard alumna and former faculty member, was Scott’s thesis adviser and mentor at Princeton. Part of Scott’s 2020 gift helped establish the Toni Morrison Endowed Chair in Arts and Humanities at Howard. Their bond, built on creativity, mentorship, and intellectual courage, continues to inspire Scott’s approach to giving.
With this latest donation, MacKenzie Scott has brought her relationship with Morrison—and with Howard University—full circle. Her generosity ensures that Howard will continue to educate generations of visionary leaders, just as Morrison once guided Scott toward her own path of purpose and impact.