Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott revealed she supported Funding U, a nonprofit offering last-gap, merit-based loans to low-income students without co-signers — a cause tied to a personal story where a college roommate once helped Scott with a $1,000 loan. The disclosure appears in reporting on Scott’s broader, mission-aligned giving focused on higher education and economic security. Scott has donated more than $19 billion and increasingly backs mission-aligned ventures as well as direct philanthropy. Funding U’s model aims to fill short-term financing gaps that can force students to drop out. University financial-aid offices, scholarship programs and student-affordability leaders should track such private capital flows: targeted lending pilots and last‑dollar programs from major donors can affect retention strategies and partnership opportunities for institutions serving low-income cohorts.