Higher Education
Program Update
As of January 2021, the Higher Education Program is no longer accepting unsolicited inquiries. We encourage potential applicants to explore our other programs and to return to our website regularly for updates on new grant opportunities.
Program Aims
Higher education has been a focus of the Foundation’s grantmaking since the Foundation’s very first grant in 1936 to Yenching University in Beijing. Over half of all grant monies awarded since the Foundation’s establishment have been to higher education institutions.
Recent Grants
For CBL Scholar COVID-19-related emergency needs, and Xavier’s COVID-19 student emergency fund
Xavier University of Louisiana|New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
To support Tribal College and University
technology needs required for reliable on-line instruction during the pandemic
American Indian College Fund|Denver, Colorado, United States
To support an initiative to explore changing definitions of “America” and “American-ness” in order to inform the development of new curricula and public programming
Arizona State University Foundation|Tempe, Arizona, United States
Support for the "Sea Change: Making Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in STEMM Normative" initiative
American Association for the Advancement of Science|Washington, District of Columbia, United States
To support the activities of the Humanities Truck during the COVID-19 pandemic.
American University|Washington DC, District of Columbia, United States
Program Administrators
Buffington has long experience in higher education, having served most recently as president of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and before that as associate provost at Harvard University.
