Several HBCU students have benefited from a multimillion-dollar commitment to raise graduation rates across Atlanta HBCUs.
As previously reported by AFROTECH™, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is committing $50 million in scholarships to Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College, and Spelman College, all Atlanta-based Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, and chairman of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, signed the Giving Pledge, aiming to donate at least half his wealth, joining MacKenzie Scott, who has also been supporting HBCUs through philanthropic donations.
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation’s scholarship is intended to ensure students reach the finish line in their education by providing gap scholarships. The commitment, announced in October 2025, will be distributed over 10 years and is expected to support nearly 10,000 students, according to a press release.
“We know Spelman, Morris Brown, Morehouse, and Clark Atlanta are vital to Atlanta’s future, and we are deeply committed to supporting the students who will carry that legacy forward. We recognize that these campuses, like many across the country, are home to generations of students whose promise inspires us,” said Blank in the news release.
Already, the commitment has led to more than $4.2 million in scholarships distributed to nearly 600 students, some of whom are set to graduate in spring 2026, according to CBS News. More specifically, 189 Spelman College students received $1.65 million in scholarships, 290 Clark Atlanta University students received $1.45 million in scholarships, while 115 Morehouse College students received $1.24 million.
“From my first time stepping on Clark Atlanta’s campus, I felt a sense of family, and this is where I belong,” Kayla Drummond, a first-generation Clark Atlanta University student who graduates May 18, told CBS News. “This diploma isn’t just for me, it’s for my family, it’s for my friends, the love, the prayers, the support.”
