Maybe it's an electoral calculation, it's certainly a record. Michael Bloomberg – three-time mayor of New York and possible Democratic presidential candidate in 2020 – has announced that he will donate $1,8 billion to the JohnsHopkins, the private university where he himself graduated in 1964. It is the Biggest donation ever in favor of a single higher education institution. The goal is to provide financial aid to low- and middle-income students.
In an op-ed in the New York Times, Bloomberg explained Sunday that the donation will allow the Baltimore university to go through the admissions process without prospective students' finances ever again being a factor in the selection. The disbursement is practically immediate and designed to concretely help the new freshmen.
The 76-year-old billionaire at the head of the financial information empire that bears his surname he wants only merit, and not wealth, to create opportunities. And it's no small aspiration, considering that today Johns Hopkins costs about 70 dollars a year and is one of the best American universities
Moreover, it is not the first time that Bloomberg has reached out to his wallet to help his old university. When this last tranche is also paid, the tycoon's donations to the institute will reach a total of 3,3 billion dollars. That is more than half of the The former New York mayor has donated $6,4 billion so far to education and other philanthropic causes.
