In September 2025, the Moody Foundation donated $150 million to Huston-Tillotson University to celebrate the school’s 150th Anniversary. Founded in 1875, the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) was the first institution of higher education in Austin, TX.
Since 1942, the Moody Foundation has supported the development of education, arts, environment and health programming across the state of Texas. In 2023, the foundation pledged $1 billion to transform education in the state by 2035. This pledge included funding institutions of higher learning like Huston-Tillotson.
About the Moody Foundation’s Donation
This donation will help enhance the experience of the university’s students while advancing its strategic plans. More specifically, the funds will support:
- Improving student living
- Expansion of academic spaces
- Development of innovative scholarship programs
- Professional and strategic planning support
- Strengthening of university culture
- Marketing and outreach initiatives
- Infrastructure development
Other Notable Donations to HBCUs
The Moody Foundation’s $150 million donation is the largest donation to a single HBCU in history. However, there have been many other notable contributions to HBCUs in recent years.
- In 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies made a $600 million donation to support the medical schools of four HBCUs: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science, Howard University’s College of Medicine, Meharry Medical College and Morehouse School of Medicine. This gift followed a $100 million gift in 2020 to reduce the burden of debt for nearly 1,000 future physicians from HBCUs.
- Spelman College received a $100 million donation in 2024 from businesswoman and philanthropist Ronda Stryker and her husband, William Johnston, Chairman of Greenleaf Trust. The donation created an endowment for future students and also supported public policy, student housing and strategic needs.
- In 2020, Prairie View A&M University received a $50 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to financially support students and advance critical academic priorities.
The Impact of Robert F. Smith’s Morehouse Donation
During his 2019 Morehouse College commencement speech, Robert F. Smith announced that he would eliminate the debt of the entire graduating class. He later expanded this gift to include the debt incurred by their parents and guardians. The donation amounted to $34 million, and the only thing he asked the students in return was to pay it forward to future generations.
During his speech, Smith said, “On behalf of the eight generations of my family who have been in this country, we’re going to put a little fuel in your bus. This is the challenge to you, alumni. This is my class — 2019. And my family is making a grant to eliminate their student loans.”
Since then, Morehouse students have published qualitative research on how Smith’s donation has impacted the students’ lives. The study aims to expand the understanding of the effect of student loan elimination at HBCUs.
Smith has continued his support of education initiatives as the Chairman of Student Freedom Initiative (SFI), a student-centered, evidence-based and holistic nonprofit dedicated to freeing students from the burden of student loan debt. SFI programming aims to serve as a catalyst to help students attain the skills and confidence they will need after graduation to successfully choose their personal and professional pathways.
Learn more about education reform and HBCUs by following Smith on LinkedIn and subscribing to his YouTube channel.