Melania Trump Launches $7.2 Million Foster Care Scholarship Fund

First Lady Melania Trump announced the establishment of a $7.2 million permanent endowment fund to provide scholarships for students who experienced foster care during a visit to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on November 7, 2026. The funding was raised through private donations, including $5 million from MMR Group Inc. and $2.2 million from the LSU Foundation.

The announcement took place at Louisiana State University (LSU) and Tiger Stadium prior to a football game between the LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The scholarships are part of the Fostering the Future initiative, an offshoot of the Be Best campaign. The program currently supports 100 students across 26 colleges and universities, including 14 at LSU and nine at the University of Alabama.

This effort builds on a November 2025 executive order signed by President Donald Trump and the First Lady to strengthen nationwide foster care support. That order included the introduction of Fostering the Future Accounts, which provide tax-deferred investment starts for children in foster care. Melania Trump has advocated for foster youth since 2021, recently pushing for congressional legislation to broaden access to services for young people aging out of the system.