Bowie State University gets $50M donation from MacKenzie Scott

Bowie State University learned late Friday it received a million unrestricted gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott the largest single contribution in the university s -year history Related stories Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott gives historic donation to Howard University Billionaire Mackenzie Scott donates million to UMES Morgan State MacKenzie Scott gives million to UNCF to financially strengthen HBCUs The former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is worth an estimated billion and she s pledged to give away most of of her fortune This is the second multimillion-dollar donation Scott has made to Bowie State and one of several she has made to local historically Black colleges and universities lately I was truly at a loss for words and it brought tears to my eyes Bowie State University President Aminta Breaux narrated WTOP I was overjoyed I was so overcome And it s not often that a president is at a loss for words This donation follows a million gift Scott gave the Prince George s County university in Breaux declared as was the event then it will be used to help students with additional financial aid With annual undergraduate tuition and fees at Breaux reported Bowie State is one of the majority affordable universities in the country but that more must be done to help students We use a percentage of our endowment with the top priority being scholarships she announced We serve chosen of the highest-need students and this gift first and foremost will be used to help close in on the financial demands for our students We re taking care of this generation of learners as well as future generations Particular of the money will also be used to enhance the university s research efforts In the last inadequate years Scott has donated more than million to HBCUs around the country including gifts to Howard University and Morgan State University I know what this gift has the ability to do to touch so multiple lives Breaux commented She explained in a comment that the donation empowers us to expand access elevate our research and academic excellence and uplift generations of students who will lead serve and innovate Higher mentoring is the pathway to upward social mobility for our students and the communities we serve and with this gift their futures are brighter than ever Overall it s estimated Scott has donated more than billion to universities and other charities and the school s leadership commented it s clear Scott is committed to the mission of Bowie State and other HBCUs Brent Swinton vice president for philanthropic engagement at Bowie State reported in a release that the donation will allow the university to leverage this latest transformational gift to inspire even greater advocacy for our brilliant yet often underresourced students and faculty When Bowie State thrives our tight-knit society of alumni families and partners across the region and beyond thrives with us Bowie State ranks th among more than the HBCUs nationwide and was founded in In it was renamed Bowie State College and renamed once more in as Bowie State University The school also became a member of the University System of Maryland in It has undergraduate majors master s programs three doctoral programs and certificate programs Source