Washington and Lee University has received a generous gift of $132 million that will enable the institution to adopt a need-blind admissions policy, in addition to its current commitment to meeting the full financial needs of students without requiring them to take out loans. The university made this announcement on Thursday.
The donation from William H. Miller III will allow the private liberal arts college in Virginia to make admissions decisions without taking into account the ability of students or their families to pay for tuition (this is known as need-blind admissions). Only a few institutions in the United States are both need-blind and guarantee to meet the full financial needs of all admitted students.
Miller, an investor and philanthropist, has also made substantial donations to other institutions, including a $75 million gift to Johns Hopkins University for the humanities in 2018.
“We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to prioritize student talent in our admissions process and to remove the financial ability of students to pay as a consideration in admissions decisions,” said Sally Stone Richmond, the vice president for admissions and financial aid at Washington and Lee University. “Thanks to Bill’s incredible generosity, W&L’s unique education will be accessible and affordable for talented and curious students from diverse backgrounds.”
In recent weeks, several other institutions have also announced significant investments in financial aid. The University of Notre Dame revealed last month that it would implement a need-blind policy for both domestic and international students. Additionally, Centre College in Kentucky stated that it would allocate additional funds to ensure that it can meet the full financial needs of its students.