More than 160 graduates of Ohio s Wilberforce University were cleared of $375,000 in debt. President Dr. Elfred Anthony Pinkard made the announcement during his commencement speech.
WATCH: University President Announces Huge Surprise For Graduating Classes Of 2020, 2021
Wilberforce University, a privately owned HBCU in Ohio, surprised recent graduates over the weekend by canceling more than $375,000 in student debt.
University president Dr. Elfred Anthony Pinkard made the announcement during closing remarks at Saturday s commencement ceremony, stunning the graduating students and their families. We wish to give you a fresh start, Pinkard said. Therefore, the Wilberforce University Board of Trustees has authorized me to forgive any debt.
The crowd erupted into cheers, dancing and hugs. Your accounts have been cleared, Pinkard said. And you don t owe Wilberforce anything.
The university said the money to erase the debt came from various scholarships, including the United Negro College Fund, Inc., Jack and Jill, Inc. and other funding to help the new 2020 and 2021 alumni.
The president of Wilberforce University, a historically Black college in Ohio, told its graduates on Saturday that their debt to the school was forgiven.
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