Morgan State University announced on Wednesday it received the largest donation in its 158-year history: $63 million from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

The gift is unrestricted, meaning the historically Black university in Northeast Baltimore can spend the money on whatever it needs. According to a press release, Morgan State will spend the historic gift on strengthening the university’s endowment, enhancing support for student success and advancing initiatives in the city.

Scott, the billionaire ex-wife of Amazon Co-Founder Jeff Bezos, gave the university $40 million in 2020. In total, she has now given Morgan State $103 million.

“To receive one historic gift from Ms. Scott was an incredible honor; to receive two speaks volumes about the confidence she and her team have in our institution’s stewardship, leadership, and trajectory,” said David Wilson, the university’s president in a statement. “This is more than philanthropy — it’s a partnership in progress.”

Scott, whose net worth is $32.3 billion, is a signatory of the Giving Pledge, which encourages billionaires to give at least 50% of their wealth away. Scott has so far given away almost $20 billion to more than 2,500 nonprofits, including $25 million to Bowie State University and $20 million to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, both in 2020.

Last month, Scott gave $70 million to the United Negro College Fund, the nation’s largest private scholarship fund for historically Black colleges.

Morgan State is now the third-largest HBCU in the country and is on track to be the second HBCU to earn a Research One Carnegie classification. For the fifth year in a row, the university has reached a new record enrollment: 11,200 students, including more than 1,000 Ph.D. candidates.

The university is also in the process of launching the nation’s first public, nonprofit medical school at an HBCU, supported by a $1.75 million grant.

Scott’s first gift to Morgan State in 2020 was a “watershed moment,” according to the university. It was, at the time, the largest individual donation in the school’s history. It also inspired additional philanthropic momentum, including a record $20 million gift from alumnus Calvin Tyler and his wife, Tina, which was at the time the largest donation ever made by an HBCU alum.

Scott’s 2020 gift led to the creation of the Center for Urban Health Equity, the National Center for the Elimination of Educational Disparities and several endowed faculty chairs.

In a statement, India DeCordova, vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of the Morgan State University Foundation, said the gift and Scott’s trust in the university ”affirm that we are not only rising but leading, charting a bold path forward for our students and our institution.”

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