Hollins University has received a $75 million donation from an unidentified alumna — the largest single gift in its 179-year history.
The record-breaking amount also represents one of the largest donations ever given to a liberal arts college by a female donor. The Virginia-based liberal arts college announced that it will use the money to support scholarships and financial aid beginning in 2023.
The gift stands to have a life-altering impact on low-income and first-generation students at the university. Hollins estimates that at least 125 students will benefit from the donation by the 2025-26 academic year.
“This gift allows Hollins to be able to provide greater access, now and into the future. We are proud to be a steward of this gift and to be able to touch the future in this way,” President Mary Dana Hinton said.
Financial insecurity is one of the greatest challenges facing women’s colleges around the country. Economic losses have reduced the number of women’s schools from 200 in 1970 to fewer than 40 today.
“Gifts at this level, at a school of Hollins’ size, have outsized impact on issues of accessibility for traditionally underserved and limited-income students. Hinton said. “This gift allows Hollins to be able to provide greater access, now and into the future. We are proud to be a steward of this gift and to be able to touch the future in this way.”