Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has made two large unrestricted gifts to historically Black colleges: $80 million to Howard University and $50 million to Virginia State University. The contributions rank among the largest single‑donor gifts those institutions have received and are unrestricted, allowing university leaders to deploy funds for student aid, infrastructure, and operational reserves. Howard said $63 million will go to general university needs and $17 million to its College of Medicine; Virginia State called its $50 million the largest individual gift in school history. Both institutions framed the gifts as timely amid federal funding uncertainty tied to the government shutdown and shifting Department of Education priorities. The donations underscore the growing role of private philanthropy in stabilising campus finances, especially at minority‑serving institutions facing grant delays and federal policy shifts.