The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has generously donated a $16.5 million gift to fund scholarships at Morehouse College to help fill financial gaps for juniors and seniors, providing the funding needed for them to complete their degrees.
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation’s transformative gift is a direct investment in social mobility. HBCU graduates earn 57 percent more in their lifetimes than they would without a degree, and these institutions outperform all others in moving students from the lowest 40 percent of household income to the top 60 percent.
Morehouse juniors and seniors who are in good academic standing and have exhausted all other options, including resources from Parent Plus Loans, will be eligible to receive this direct support. The investment will elevate Morehouse’s ability to produce a steady pipeline of outstanding leaders, scholars, and civil servants, as well as help reduce student debt after graduation.
Morehouse educates more than 2,800 students annually. About half of students come from low-income families.
“We are profoundly grateful to the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation for its generous gift of $16.5 million," said President F. DuBois Bowman, Ph.D. "This scholarship provides a pathway to complete a Morehouse education, ensuring that a student's talent, ambition, hard work, and integrity-not financial hardship-will determine his future.
“This monumental investment will empower our students to remain focused on their academic studies, equipping them with the foundation needed to contribute as leaders in their professions and communities.”
For many Pell Grant-eligible students, the financial gap in their junior and senior years, however, poses the greatest threat to graduation. The new Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation scholarship will directly address that crisis, helping to raise graduation rates and serving as a model for philanthropic support across the HBCU sector.
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation scholarship contribution is part of a landmark $50 million, 10-year scholarship investment aimed at increasing the number of students graduating from the Atlanta University Center. Clark Atlanta University, Morris Brown College, and Spelman College will also receive gifts. Beginning in 2026, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation scholarship is projected to support nearly 10,000 students across the four participating schools in the Atlanta University Center.
“Atlanta holds a special place in my heart... We recognize that these campuses are home to generations of students whose promise inspires us,” said, Arthur M. Blank, Chairman, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. “Our hope is that by helping more students earn their degrees, launch successful careers and become alumni who give back, we are investing in a cycle of opportunity that benefits young people and their families in Atlanta and communities across the nation for years to come.”
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation's gift to Morehouse will provide a boost to Morehouse's $500 million "Making Men of Consequence" fundraising campaign, which is securing investment in scholarships and campus construction projects, among other initiatives. The gift brings the comprehensive campaign's total to more than $355 million raised to date.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation for their transformational gift and thoughtful partnership," said Hodan Hassan, Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Morehouse College. "This remarkable gift will fuel the education of juniors and seniors and continue the legacy of excellence that has been produced at Morehouse for more than 158 years.”