UMUC Gets Mystery $6 Million Donation

ADELPHI, Md. - An anonymous donor is giving millions of dollars to nine colleges across the country, including the University of Maryland University College-- but there's a catch.

A complete stranger is making the donation, which means thousands for cash-strapped students, and a chance for a much-needed bailout of their own. But who made the donation is mystery.

UMUC is getting a whopping $6 million of the money, and they were notified in the mail. Two days later, officials say they got a check.

But who did it and why? Everyone wants to know, but no one seems to be able to find out. The donor requested that the university swear in writing not to try to uncover his or her identity. The other stipulation was that $5 million of the money go to scholarships for women and minorities.

UMUC is free do to whatever they would like with the other million.

Though it isn't known who the generous donor is, we do know who is getting part of the money. Lynda Jackson is a military spouse working toward a Doctorate in Management at UMUC. Money has been tight for her, and the financial strain threatened her nearly four-decade dream of earning a PhD.

"It's like a dream come true and the opportunity to get this assistance is even greater, because as you know, the higher you go, the higher the degree costs and it's been kind of tough," said Jackson.

The scholarship came just in the nick of time. Jackson does admit she wants to know the identity of her benefactor, but she isn't planning on looking the gift horse in the mouth.

"I would imagine that a person like that is caring and often times the people that are the most caring are not the ones that want to tell about it," said Jackson.

So far, more than 1,000 UMUC students are slated to get scholarships, and it's the mystery gift that keeps on giving. The university says it identifies the lucky recipients based on who they are and their need. The $6 million gift is the largest ever received by the university.