NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (AP) - Smith College announced Wednesday that it has received a $50 million donation, the largest in the school’s nearly 150-year history.
The gift comes from a Smith graduate who asked to remain anonymous, the college’s president, Kathleen McCartney, said in a campus letter. The gift includes $40 million for student financial aid and $10 million for career development programs.
“Her investment in the college will allow us to make a giant stride in equalizing the Smith experience for students from low- and middle-income backgrounds,” McCartney wrote.
McCartney said it brings the school one step closer to implementing “need-blind” admissions, a relatively rare practice in which colleges do not consider applicants’ family wealth when selecting students.
In a statement released by the college, the alumna said Smith had a meaningful impact on her life, and she felt obligated to pay it back.
Smith, a private women’s college in Northampton, Massachusetts, enrolls about 3,000 students.
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