Santa Barbara City College Plans Use of Remaining $13M Gift

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The Santa Barbara City College Board of Trustees has created an ad hoc committee to explore how to allocate the remaining $13 million of a $20 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The board is considering using the funds to create endowments for the Umoja program serving Black and African American students, as well as to support student housing amid a local affordable housing crisis. The board is also weighing using the money to further fund the college's Promise program.

Why it matters

The $20 million gift from MacKenzie Scott was the largest donation in SBCC's history, and the board's decisions on how to use the remaining $13 million will have a significant impact on the college and its students. The unauthorized use of a portion of the funds has also raised questions about oversight and transparency.

The details

The SBCC Board of Trustees recently disclosed that several million dollars from the Scott gift were used to fund the Promise program without board approval, leaving community members to question how the unauthorized spending occurred. The board has launched an investigation into the matter, but is now focused on how to allocate the remaining $13 million. Trustees have suggested using the funds to create endowments for the Umoja program and student housing, as well as to further support the Promise program.

• In 2021, MacKenzie Scott donated $20 million to Santa Barbara City College, the largest gift in the school's history.
• On February 19, 2026, the SBCC Board of Trustees created an ad hoc committee to explore potential uses for the remaining $13 million of the Scott gift.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The ad hoc committee appointed by President Abboud will report back to the full Board of Trustees with more ideas on how to use the remaining $13 million of the MacKenzie Scott gift.