In a news release, Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) announced that it has received $42 million from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The announcement came during ESCU’s Founders Day Convocation.
According to ECSU, Scott’s gift is the largest dollar per student enrolled gift of any historically Black college and university (HBCU) among Scott’s recent gifts — this gift is nearly triple what ECSU received from Scott in 2020.
“I want to express our deepest gratitude to MacKenzie Scott for this remarkable act of generosity and for her recognition of the critical role that HBCUs play in expanding opportunity and strengthening communities,” said Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, chancellor of ECSU. “Her investment affirms what we already know: that institutions like ECSU are powerful catalysts for change.”
According to the release, Scott’s gift will be used to create endowed scholarship programs to support student learning and success; establish endowments to support academic programs and growth; and support academic, athletic and residential infrastructure.
As noted in an article covering a recent $25 million gift to Lincoln University, since 2020, Scott has distributed billions of dollars to colleges and universities, with HBCUs receiving significant portions of her giving.
