Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
Kentucky State University, the historically Black educational institution in Frankfort received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create two data software products for fisheries science. One product will serve as a pathogen identification tool and the other will be a fish disease case study database that will help researchers determine the cause of fish kill events.
Historically Black Hampton University in Virginia received a $107,000 donation from university President William R. Harvey and his wife. The gift will fund stipends to students who gain internships at nonprofit organizations and will give scholarships to first-generation college students. To date, the Harveys have contributed more than $3.6 million to Hampton University.
Spelman College, the historically Black liberal arts educational institution for women in Atlanta, received a $5 million gift from Boston-based hedge fund manager Seth Klarman and his wife Beth. The gift will be earmarked for scholarships and for emergency funds for students who need the money to stay in school.
The United Negro College Fund, which represents 37 private historically Black colleges and universities, received a $500,000 donation from Lowe’s Corporation. The money will be used to award emergency financial aid to students who need help to stay in school and complete their degree programs. A similar grant last year, enabled 240 HBCU students to stay in school and on the track to graduation.