The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley announced Tuesday that philanthropists MacKenzie Scott —Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s ex-wife — and Dan Jewett donated $40 million that will be used as scholarship money.
Students may use the money as they enter college and throughout their educational journey.
In a letter sent to UTRGV students, staff and faculty, UTRGV President Guy Bailey said Scott and Jewett chose UTRGV based on its success as the second largest Hispanic Serving Institution in the country and its proven ability to transform the lives of underserved students throughout higher education.
“This is truly a significant day for UTRGV that should be celebrated by all of us. We are extremely grateful to Ms. Scott and Mr. Jewett for their incredible generosity,” Bailey wrote.
“This gift, and the support we continue to receive from many others, will help UTRGV continue to transform the Rio Grande Valley and beyond. We are the Future of Texas!”
Recently, UTRGV ranked first in Texas and fifth nationally in the performance of Pell Grant-eligible students; first in Texas and 11th nationally in the performance of first-generation students; and second in Texas and 29th nationally in the social mobility of students. UTRGV is also first among national public universities with the lowest student debt, the press release reads.
On a post published Tuesday by Scott, she wrote that because community-centered service is such a powerful catalyst and multiplier, the donors spent the first quarter of 2021 identifying and evaluating equity-oriented non-profit teams working in areas that have been neglected. The result was more than $2.73 billion in gifts to 286 high-impact organizations in categories and communities that have been historically underfunded and overlooked.
It is the third round of no-strings-attached, major philanthropic gifts Scott has made, which together rival the charitable contributions made by the largest foundations.
“Higher education is a proven pathway to opportunity, so we looked for 2- and 4-year institutions successfully educating students who come from communities that have been chronically underserved,” she wrote.
“Discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities has been deepening, so we assessed organizations bridging divides through interfaith support and collaboration.”
The University of Texas San Antonio also received a $40 million grant. Other organizations receiving the windfall were refugee resettlement groups and civil rights groups, as well as arts and culture organizations that have suffered from a drop in giving as donors focused on more urgent needs brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
