Bison Strong tops $210,000 for graduates

By Kelvin Childs

The Bison Strong Start to Finish campaign indeed lives up to its name, as nearly 1,000 donors heeded the call, beating its $200,000 goal by an extra 5%.

By the campaign’s May 14 conclusion, 947 donors generously gave $210,097 to support the HUAA Emergency Scholarship Fund, which goes to clearing the balances of graduating seniors at risk of not receiving their diplomas.

Donations came from a mixed group of interested supporters invested in student success, including 56% of gifts from alumni, 10% from friends of the University, 8% from parents, 3% from Howard’s faculty and staff, and 2% from students.

Dollars came in from 38 states, with the most donations coming from nearby Maryland (221). The rest of the top five states are Virginia (78), California (64), New York (57) and Georgia (55), showing Howard’s reach is from coast to coast.

As actor/producer Anthony Anderson (’22, BFA) said in support of Bison Strong, the debts that can keep at senior from graduating aren’t always large. “Even a small gift makes a difference,” he said.

Anderson attended Howard in the 1990s but dropped out in his junior year, owing to the monetary challenges the HUAA Emergency Scholarship Fund exists to alleviate. He returned 30 years later to complete his degree.

 “I remember what it felt like to cross that stage. I also remember what it felt like to have financial hardships that prevented me from crossing that stage,” he said.

Bison Strong Start to Finish is complete for this year, but the need to support our students is ongoing. Please donate here: GiveCampus | Donations