In March 2024, Dartmouth College in the United States announced that it would receive more than $150 million from the estates of former Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt and his wife, Barbara Britt. The donation, the largest bequest dedicated entirely to scholarships in Dartmouth’s 255-year history, was intended to make education more affordable for students from middle-income families. It also provided additional scholarship funding for students at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.According to the college, the gift allowed Dartmouth to nearly double the annual family income threshold under which parents are not expected to contribute towards their children’s undergraduate education. The limit increased from $65,000 to $125,000 for families with typical assets. Dartmouth said the revised threshold was the most generous of its kind in the United States at the time.Under the arrangement, three-quarters of the donation was allocated to undergraduate financial aid, while the remaining quarter was set aside for scholarships at Tuck. The new policy was scheduled to take effect in the 2024–25 academic year, covering eligible students already enrolled at Dartmouth as well as incoming members of the Class of 2028.The announcement came years after Glenn Britt’s death in 2014. Barbara Britt died in August 2023. Dartmouth said the exact value of their bequest would be determined once their estate was fully settled, although the college and Tuck were assured of receiving at least $150 million.
Donation changed financial aid at Dartmouth
Before the Britts’ donation, Dartmouth did not require a parental contribution from families earning $65,000 or less annually, provided they had typical assets. The bequest raised that income threshold to $125,000, extending the benefit to more middle-income households.According to Dartmouth, the change was expected to provide financial relief to approximately 350 families each year across its four undergraduate classes.However, zero parent contribution does not mean students have no financial responsibility. Under the policy, eligible students are still expected to contribute money earned through summer jobs and employment on campus. Dartmouth said this student contribution would not exceed $5,000 annually.The change built on Dartmouth’s existing financial aid policies. The college had already introduced need-blind undergraduate admissions for applicants regardless of citizenship, committed to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need and replaced required undergraduate loans with expanded scholarships.Speaking about the donation, Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock said, “Glenn Britt credited Dartmouth for transforming his life, and he was tremendously grateful for the financial aid award that made his Dartmouth experience possible.”She added, “This remarkable bequest from Glenn and Barbara ensures that, regardless of background, the dream of a Dartmouth education can become a reality.”
The announcement came years after Glenn Britt’s death in 2014
Tuck School of Business
The donation also marked an important development for Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, where Glenn Britt completed his MBA in 1972.Dartmouth described the portion allocated to Tuck as the largest single outright gift in the business school’s history. The funding was intended to establish long-term scholarship support through the Britt Scholars programme.The scholarships were designed to help Tuck attract talented students, including those facing greater financial difficulties. Dartmouth specifically highlighted first-generation students, who accounted for 19% of Tuck’s Class of 2025.Matthew Slaughter, then dean of Tuck, said the scholarships would continue supporting deserving students in the couple’s names.“Having a cohort of Britt Scholars in perpetuity will ensure we continue to provide a life-altering Tuck education to the most deserving students, in Glenn’s and Barbara’s names,” he said.
Who were Glenn and Barbara Britt?
Glenn Britt grew up in Nyack, New York, in a family of modest financial means. He attended Dartmouth with the help of a substantial financial aid award and graduated in 1971 with a degree in economics.During college, he participated in the marching band and worked at the student radio station, WDCR. He later earned his MBA from Tuck and joined Time Inc., beginning a career in telecommunications.Britt became president of Time Warner Cable in 1999 and CEO in 2001. During his tenure, the business grew from a $6 billion division into an independent publicly traded company generating $21 billion in annual revenue.Barbara Britt, meanwhile, studied history at Douglass College, then the women’s college at Rutgers University. She worked as a journalist and photographer for Time’s in-house publication, FYI. The couple married in 1975.Both supported educational and cultural organisations, including the Manhattan Theatre Club. Barbara also remained involved in conservation, animal welfare and educational outreach.Glenn Britt maintained a relationship with Dartmouth long after graduating. He supported the college financially, volunteered as an admissions ambassador and served on the Tuck Board of Advisors.The couple also supported technology education through Tuck’s Glassmeyer/McNamee Center for Digital Strategies. Their Britt Impact Technology Series introduced students to developments in technology and related career opportunities.
