‘Little things like this’: what MacKenzie Scott’s millions have meant to HBCUs

From The Chronicle of Higher Education: “In October, Madison Byrdie checked her financial-aid statement and noticed something had changed. A $1,500 credit had been applied to her tuition bill overnight. Just the week before, the sophomore at Xavier University of Louisiana had talked to her mother about getting another job — she already worked as a resident assistant — to help cover some of her school bills. … Looking ahead, she knew she didn’t have enough money to pay for two more years of college. But then came the good news. In the fall, Xavier gave 60 students $3,000 need-based scholarships, to be distributed over the course of the academic year. The funds came thanks to a historic windfall: the philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s $20-million donation to the university.”