Anonymous donor gives $10M to aid Prairie View A&mstudents

Prairie View A&M University has received $10 million from an anonymous donor to help students who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to graduate on time, according to a university news release.

The donation will help form the Panther Success Grant, which will award up to $2,000 per semester and $4,000 each academic year to juniors and seniors to assist them in finishing their education. Though PVAMU has seen its enrollment increase this fall by around 4 percent, many students and parents have reported that remaining enrolled at the college will be a challenge for many, according to officials.

“These unrestricted funds will be the critical difference in enabling these students to continue and complete their studies,” said Ruth J. Simmons, the university’s president, in a written statement.

“We are certainly heartened by the fact that during a very difficult time for our students, there are people who step up to lend assistance. I’m quite moved by this gift,” she said, adding that the donation has been important to its students, especially those struggling to remain enrolled.

“Those gestures encourage our students to persist. As important as $10 million is, it’s more important for students to be aware that people are out there who genuinely care whether they fulfill their aspiration,” Simmons said.

Simmons added that the historically Black university could have chosen to use the gift in other ways, but that students were the main concern for both the university and the donor.

“Financial aid is a top priority when you’re serving undeserved communities. It’s awfully hard in ordinary times for students to really meet their expenses, and in a time like this, when they have lost their jobs or are unable to chip in to pay for their education, that seemed to be the most important thing to help our students,” Simmons said.

Students won’t need to apply for the grants. Instead, the university will begin awarding students once the criteria is approved by the donor; funds will be initially disbursed to students who are on track to graduate within six years or are making progress toward receiving their degrees. Students who lack funding or financial aid will also be given priority.

The distribution of scholarships will continue until the full $10 million has been disbursed.

“This type of extraordinary generosity supports students on the path toward graduation in spite of incredibly difficult financial stresses due to the pandemic,” university Provost James M. Palmer said in a written statement. “Grants for identified students support the university’s mission by helping graduate transformational leaders so desperately needed in society today.”