In a sweeping show of philanthropic commitment, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has announced a $50 million, 10-year scholarship initiative aimed at narrowing the financial divide for students at Atlanta’s historically Black colleges and universities.
The initiative, announced Monday, will provide “gap scholarships” to students at Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College and Spelman College who are in good academic standing but face financial hurdles that could prevent them from earning their degrees.
The new program, which begins in 2026, is expected to assist nearly 10,000 students across the four institutions over the next decade.
Students in good academic standing who have fully exhausted other financial options — including scholarships, federal grants, state assistance and loan programs — will be eligible for funding at the discretion of their respective institutions.
The program will primarily target juniors and seniors, when financial stress is often most acute.
The foundation’s initiative is similar to the state’s College Completion Grant program, created in 2022 to assist students at Georgia’s public colleges and universities who have completed much of their degree work but can’t pay their tuition. Atlanta’s HBCUs are all private institutions.
Arthur M. Blank, chairman of the foundation that bears his name, has been a longtime supporter of Georgia’s Black colleges — particularly those in Atlanta. He described the gift as “a grant of hope. A way to give these students an opportunity to fulfill their hopes and dreams.”
“We recognize that these campuses, like many across the country, are home to generations of students whose promise inspires us,” Blank said. “Our hope is that by helping more students earn their degrees, launch successful careers and become alumni who give back, we are investing in a cycle of opportunity that benefits young people and their families in Atlanta and communities across the nation for years to come.”
The foundation said the scholarship is also meant to serve as a model for other philanthropies to expand investment in HBCU student success.
The presidents of the four HBCUs hailed the investment as a transformative gift that will change the lives of their students and strengthen the historic Atlanta University Center.
“This monumental investment will empower our students to remain focused on their academic studies and ensure that their talent, ambition, hard work, and integrity, not financial hardship, will determine their futures,” said Morehouse College President F. DuBois Bowman.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Morris Brown College President Kevin E. James said the investment comes at a pivotal moment for the institution’s resurgence. The college celebrated homecoming this past weekend.
“The Blank Foundation’s commitment provides critical support for Morris Brown students in their educational journeys,” James said.
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
The Atlanta University Center Consortium, anchored by its four undergraduate institutions as well as Morehouse School of Medicine and the Interdenominational Theological Center, is the oldest and largest consortium of historically Black colleges and universities in the world. Combined, they have more than 9,000 students.
While many students at Atlanta’s HBCUs excel academically — Spelman, Morehouse and Clark Atlanta all ranked high in the most recent U.S. News & World Report HBCU listings — financial challenges often block their path to graduation.
Spelman interim President Roz Brewer said the new scholarship program will help ensure those financial challenges no longer derail students’ success.
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“This investment affirms that every Spelman scholar deserves access to a world-class education,” Brewer said. “It expands our ability to bridge financial gaps and support students through to graduation.”
That challenge is not unique to Spelman.
Federal data show that 88% of Clark Atlanta students receive financial aid, compared with 66% at Spelman and 59% at Morehouse.
Pell Grant eligibility — a key measure of low-income student need — is especially high across these campuses, where many students juggle multiple jobs, face food and housing insecurity and rely on more loans than their peers.
For many, even a few hundred dollars in unmet costs can mean the difference between finishing college or dropping out, said Fay Twersky, president of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.
“Even a small financial gap can be the difference between walking across the graduation stage or walking away,” Twersky said. “These grants are a material investment in hope.”
At Spelman, nearly eight in 10 students (78%) earn their degrees within six years — the highest rate among Atlanta’s HBCUs. Morehouse graduates 54% of its students in the same period, and Clark Atlanta is at 44% according to federal data.
Clark Atlanta University President George T. French Jr. said the foundation’s gift represents both an academic and moral investment in student success.
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
“This transformative gift empowers Clark Atlanta students to succeed and lead globally,” French said. “It provides the critical resources they need to graduate and prepare for leadership in the global marketplace.”
The foundation did not specify how much each college will receive. Blank said each institution will determine how best to allocate the funds.
“We are happy to let them do that. They are brilliant at doing that,” Blank said. “They understand all of the capabilities and limitations that are out there.”
A history of support
The new scholarships build on the Blank Foundation’s long history of supporting HBCUs. Previous gifts include:
- $10 million to Spelman for the Arthur M. Blank Innovation Lab.
- $6.5 million for athletic field refurbishments at Clark Atlanta, Albany State University, Miles College and Savannah State University.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
- $400,000 to Morehouse’s golf program, in partnership with PGA Tour Superstore.
- New football helmets for Morehouse and Clark Atlanta student-athletes.
- $3 million to Morris Brown to enhance, digitize and market its hospitality certificate program.
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