SALEM, MASS. (WHDH) - An anonymous donor recently gifted $10 million to Salem State University to support scholarships for students studying education and health care, the university announced Tuesday.
Salem State in its announcement said the new “Clipper Scholarship” will benefit students in the Meservey College of Health and Human Services and the McKeown School of Education who do not qualify for other federal and state programs, including Pell grants.
The scholarships will help students pay the cost of attending Salem State, including tuition, room and board, books and meal plans.
“Salem State’s founding principle, seeing education as the great equalizer, is as important today as it’s ever been,” said university Vice President of Advancement Cheryl Webster. “Such extraordinary acts of philanthropy allow us to further invest in students as they build toward personal and professional success.”
Webster also serves as the executive director of the Salem State University Alumni Association and Foundation, Inc.
While not identifying the donor, Salem State said the gift was made in honor of the donor’s parents, who both graduated from Salem State in the 1950s.
The university said the donor “empathizes with those who struggle with the financial constraints in obtaining a quality education and says that we must do better as a society to help students with unmet need.”
Salem State currently enrolls 6,239 students, according to its website.
In celebrating the $10 million donation, several university officials joined Webster in thanking philanthropic supporters and highlighting the impact of their contributions.
“We are so proud to partner with donors who share our commitment to Viking student success,” Webster said.
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