GREENSBORO, N.C. — North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University today announced a record $63 million investment from philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott, the largest single gift ever received by the university.
Five years after Scott’s landmark $45 million gift, this latest commitment raises her total support to $108 million. It affirms her confidence in the university’s vision, leadership and trajectory as one of the nation’s most dynamic research institutions.
“No investor in higher education history has had such a broad and transformational impact across so many universities,” said Chancellor James R. Martin II. “North Carolina A&T is deeply grateful for Ms. Scott’s reaffirmed belief in our mission and for the example she sets in placing trust in institutions like ours to drive generational change through education, discovery and innovation.”
Accelerating A&T’s Strategic Vision
Scott’s investment will catalyze A&T’s next phase of growth, aligning directly with Preeminence 2030: North Carolina A&T Blueprint, which envisions the university as a model for 21st century doctoral research land-grant excellence. The investment will advance A&T’s pursuit of the Research 1-Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production designation in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, strengthen student success outcomes and expand research and innovation in key disciplines including engineering, agriculture, life and health sciences, data science and artificial intelligence.
“This is an investment in A&T’s capacity to solve society’s most pressing challenges,” said Martin. “It will accelerate our momentum as a research and innovation powerhouse, ensuring that A&T continues to lead at the intersection of technology, human progress and social transformation.”
Trust, Stewardship and Long-Term Impact
Like her previous investment, Scott’s latest commitment is unrestricted – reflecting both trust in A&T’s leadership and confidence in its stewardship. This flexibility will enable the university to deploy resources strategically to achieve sustainable impact that extends well beyond campus borders.
A&T’s growing endowment – expected to surpass $300 million following this investment – will strengthen its ability to attract exceptional talent, support transformative research and create opportunities that change lives and communities for generations.
“On behalf of the North Carolina A&T Board of Trustees, I extend our deepest gratitude to Ms. Scott for her extraordinary gift,” said board chair Gina L. Loften ‘90. “This transformative investment will strengthen our capacity to fulfill A&T’s mission of exemplary teaching, transformative research and impactful public service. It expands opportunities for our students, empowers innovation that addresses critical challenges and further elevates A&T’s leadership among the nation’s premiere institutions of higher learning.”
A&T’s Rising National Profile
Since Scott’s initial investment in 2020, A&T has experienced a period of remarkable growth and recognition. Enrollment now exceeds 15,000 students, making A&T the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to surpass that milestone. The university was recently ranked America’s No. 1 public HBCU in LinkedIn’s national college rankings and has secured more than $350 million in research awards over the past five years. Faculty innovations have led to the development of numerous new patents and the establishment of expanded national partnerships in agriculture, the life sciences, autonomy and advanced manufacturing.
“What’s happening at North Carolina A&T is redefining what it means to be a land-grant university in the 21st century,” said Martin. “This investment allows us to accelerate from excellence to exponential growth – transforming knowledge into impact for North Carolina, the nation and the world.”