Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish
Updated November 7, 2026, 9:32 p.m. CST
LSU’s scholarship endowment for students who have experienced foster care has reached $7.2 million, the university and White House announced November 7, expanding on the $5 million commitment announced earlier in the week.
LSU said MMR Group provided the $5 million lead commitment, with contributions from 75 additional LSU Foundation donors bringing the total to $7.2 million. The university estimates the endowment will generate approximately $288,000 annually for eligible students. That is an expected annual funding amount, not a guaranteed payment to each recipient.
The MMR Fostering the Future Endowed Scholarship can support room and board as well as educational costs. It builds on separate scholarships funded by Zoom that are covering tuition, fees and books for 14 LSU students this fall, according to LSU.
The new announcement does not specify an application deadline, individual award amounts or how many students the endowment itself will support.
First Lady Melania Trump visited Baton Rouge for the announcement and the LSU and Alabama football game. The White House said the broader Fostering the Future network includes 26 universities supporting 100 scholars this semester.
Earlier coverage
The White House initially announced a $5 million endowment on November 4. This article was first published November 5 and has been updated to reflect the November 7 total and newly released funding details.
An earlier update covered LSU Athletics’ November 6 security advisory for the November 7 game, including additional checkpoints, restricted campus areas and accessible entry routes. That guidance concerned the game day visit; it is retained here as historical context, not a statement that those restrictions remain active.