UB gets $4.8M grant to support students, veterans

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A philanthropic gift from the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation will provide the University of Baltimore with nearly $5 million to support the school’s veteran-oriented programs and the expansion of existing academic programs.

Bob Parsons, a UB alumnus and founder of GoDaddy, and Renee, his wife, are supporting the college with a multiyear grant that provides $3.8 million for the Bob Parsons Veterans Center and the Bob Parsons Veterans Advocacy Clinic over five years, UB announced Thursday. 

The grant also includes $1 million for UB’s Fund for Excellence to support the academic needs for traditional students.

“I know what it’s like to return home from war and have to figure out your next step,” Bob Parsons said in a statement.

“The University of Baltimore gave me that step. Renee and I want to make sure every veteran that walks through those doors gets the same shot, and the support to see it through.”

A Marine Corps veteran, Parsons also founded the Bob Parsons Institute at UBalt, which comprises the Veterans Center and Veterans Advocacy Clinic, in 2013. These organizations aim to provide military service members with education and transitional support – whether they’re students or local residents, according to a news release. 

The Parsonses have contributed more than $14.6 million to UB since 2013, the release says. The $4.8 million grant gift is the second-largest in the university’s history, according to UB officials.

“We are incredibly grateful that The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation shares in our view that meeting the financial needs of our students is a top priority for the University,” UB President Kurt Schmoke said.

“Having that connection—between the student who is on the verge of finishing their degree but for a few bills, and an alumnus who has seen the world from that point of view—is deeply meaningful to us. What a great partner we have in Mr. Parsons. He simply cares about this community.”

This story has been updated.