MacKenzie Scott is bypassing the Ivy League and rewriting the $79 billion higher ed playbook by giving to HBCUs and community colleges.

The article focuses on billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s significant donations to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other underserved higher education institutions amid declining federal support. Between 2015 and 2019, Ivy League schools received vastly more philanthropic funding than HBCUs, but Scott has donated over $1.2 billion to HBCUs in the past five years, including historic gifts to Howard University and Morgan State University. Her giving also extends to community colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions, and tribal colleges, often providing unrestricted funds that allow recipients flexibility in addressing their needs. These donations come at a critical time as the Trump administration proposed substantial federal budget cuts to programs supporting HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions. Scott’s trust-based philanthropy aims to rebalance funding disparities in higher education by supporting institutions with demonstrated potential for impact. [Extracted from the article]