Before a highly anticipated football rivalry, First Lady Melania Trump from Louisiana State University Saturday announced $7.2 million to establish a permanent endowment supporting the first lady’s Foster the Future scholarships for LSU students who experienced foster care.
The amount was $2.2 million more than in the original announcement.
“This achievement will give young people from foster care an anchor of stability, a strong educational foundation, and a chance to build a wonderful life,” Mrs. Trump said during an announcement ceremony before attending the LSU Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide football game at Tiger Stadium. “When I started Fostering the Future in 2021, my vision was clear: every young person from foster care should have the chance to build an extraordinary life. Education is the center of that plan.”
At LSU, there are 14 Fostering the Future scholars receiving funding to cover the cost of tuition, fees and books. The endowment also covers room and board for the students.
During the ceremony, LSU President Wade Rousse presented the first lady with an LSU helmet bearing a sticker with the Be Best Fostering the Future logo, which LSU players wore on their helmets in Saturday’s game.
“A great education does more than prepare someone for work life. It gives something no one can ever take away,” the first lady said. “There is nothing more powerful we can give a young person than a world-class education.”
The MMR Group committed $5 million with contributions from additional LSU Foundation donors, according to the White House. MMR Group is a local electrical and instruments contractor. Two checks were presented: one with the $5 million donated by MMR and one for the remaining amount.
Former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron gave the first lady a commemorative football and LSU cheerleaders gave her a football jersey emblazoned with “Melania” and the number 14, representing the number of students receiving Fostering the Future scholarships.
The University of Alabama is also part of the Fostering the Future program. Mrs. Trump noted in her remarks there are nine scholars there receiving the scholarship.
In addition to LSU and Alabama, several other academic institutions nationwide have established scholarships associated with the first lady’s initiative. They include The Ohio State University, University of Wisconsin, Arizona State University, University of Georgia, University of Texas and University of Florida.
Last year, Mrs. Trump unveiled “Fostering the Future for American Children and Families,” an executive order championed by the first lady signed by her husband President Donald Trump. The executive order aims to unite federal resources with public- and private-sector partnerships to provide more education and employment pathways for young people who have experienced foster care.
Earlier this year, Mrs. Trump advocated in a congressional committee for reforms to the John H. Chafee Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood, the nation’s primary program dedicated to supporting youth from ages 14 to 23 who are transitioning out of foster care. There are six proposed bills that would modernize the Chafee Program and improve outcomes for youth aging out of foster care. The legislation, which cleared the House and is pending in the Senate, would address challenges that have been identified by stakeholders, witnesses and youth in foster care and aligns with Mrs. Trump’s Fostering the Future.
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