The billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $38 million to Xavier University, the largest private donation in the New Orleans school's history, university officials said.

The unrestricted gift is Scott's second major donation to Xavier, the only historically Black and Catholic university in the country, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. In 2020, she gifted $20 million to the university, which officials said would be used to invest in the school's endowment, expand need-based scholarships and endow new positions.

Xavier President Reynold Verret said in a statement on Tuesday that Scott's latest gift was "humbling and inspiring" and would fund efforts to make the university more affordable for students from diverse backgrounds.

"Ms. Scott’s belief in

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