A sign at Alabama State University entrance in Montgomery, Alabama as seen in 2023. (Getty Images)
Alabama State University (ASU) has received the largest donation in the history of the university.
ASU, one of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), received $38 million from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, the largest contribution in the school’s 158-year history.
“We are deeply grateful to MacKenzie Scott for her unprecedented generosity in supporting the vision of Alabama State University. The message here is clear: the work being done at this University is being held in high regard,” Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr., ASU president, said in a statement Monday. “This investment allows us to continue to make a significant impact as an institution of higher learning now and for generations to come. This is a history-making moment at the place where history is made.”
The university said in the statement that the money will be used for “bolstering the university’s endowment, enhancing student success initiatives, expanding its research and technology infrastructure and deepening ASU’s engagement within the Montgomery community and beyond” but did not provide details.
ASU’s total budget in 2024 was $113.6 million. About 4,081 students were enrolled at the university for the Fall 2024 semester. ASU is budgeted to receive $66.5 million from Alabama’s Education Trust Fund budget in the 2026 fiscal year, which began on Oct. 1.
This marks the third HBCU that Scott has donated to this month. Earlier this month, she gave $63 million to Morgan State University in Baltimore and $38 million to The University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Maryland.
Scott also donated $70 million to the United Negro College Fund to help the organization support the 37 HBCUs it serves.
The university said they had no indication that they would be receiving the money from Scott.
“We’ve just been doing the work — staying true to our mission, our students, and our community,” Ross said in the statement. “You never know who’s watching, and to be recognized in this way reminds us that our efforts matter. Alabama State University’s impact is reaching farther than we sometimes realize.”
