5 Mississippi HCBUs named recipients of Retool Your School grants

Votes for The Home Depot’s Retool Your School program are in, with five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Mississippi announced as grant winners.

This year, 36 HBCUs across the nation were selected to receive over $2 million in grants to improve each college campus, doubling last year’s total amount of allocated funds.

HBCUs participating in the Campus Improvement Grant program were separated into three clusters based on student population. The top ten schools with the most votes per cluster then received grants ranging from $40,000 to $150,000.

The Mississippi HBCUs that will receive the grants are Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Tougaloo College, Rust College, and Coahoma Community College.

Coahoma Community College, which was placed first in Campus Improvement Grant Cluster 2, will be given a $150,000 grant for renovations, internship and externship programs, scholarships, and more.

“The Home Depot’s commitment to HBCUs goes deeper than just financial support,” Molly Battin, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, said. “We recognize that HBCUs are fundamental to academic success and professional development in both the communities they serve and our nation as a whole. We’re committed to preserving that incredible history and seeing that it continues to grow.”

Here’s the full list of HBCUs that are set to receive grant funding:

Cluster 1:

1. Alabama A&M University
2. Jackson State University
3. Albany State University
4. Howard University
5. Hampton University
6. Grambling State University
7. Alabama State University
8. Southern University and A&M College
9. Winston-Salem State University
10. Norfolk State University

Cluster 2:

1. Coahoma Community College
2. South Carolina State University
3. Tuskegee University
4. Bethune-Cookman University
5. Kentucky State University
6. Benedict College
7. Savannah State University
8. University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
9. University of Maryland Eastern Shore
10. Mississippi Valley State University

Cluster 3:

1. Fisk University
2. Tougaloo College
3. Johnson C. Smith University
4. Lane College
5. Texas College
6. Southwestern Christian College
7. Wilberforce University
8. Morris Brown College
9. Rust College
10. Saint Augustine’s University

Innovation Lounge Grant:

• Bethune-Cookman University
• Florida A&M University
• Interdenominational Theological Center
• Lincoln University of Missouri
• Meharry Medical College
• Morehouse College
• Morris Brown College
• Southern University and A&M College
• Southwestern Christian College
• Voorhees College