LSU, First Lady of the United States Announce $7.2 Million Endowment to Fund College Education for Former Foster Care Youth Forever

MMR Group, founded and led by LSU alumnus and former LSU football player James B. "Pepper" Rutland, commits $5 million lead gift

During a visit to LSU today, First Lady of the United States Melania Trump announced a new $7.2 million endowment to permanently support LSU students who have experienced foster care. The gift marks an investment in the tenets of the First Lady's Fostering the Future initiative, which connects young people from foster care with educational opportunities and resources designed to help them thrive.

The MMR Fostering the Future Endowed Scholarship is funded through the generosity of MMR Group, which committed $5 million to establish the fund, and contributions from 75 fellow LSU Foundation donors who stepped forward to match MMR Group's investment. Their collective generosity brings the endowment total to $7.2 million and growing. The scholarship fund is expected to generate approximately $288,000 annually in perpetuity for eligible LSU students. It will equip students who have experienced foster care with financial support to attend LSU and, ultimately, to translate their talent and ambition into meaningful careers and lives of impact.

MMR Group's generosity further accelerates the quick momentum achieved by LSU as a Fostering the Future partner school. Fostering the Future, part of the First Lady's Be Best initiative, is a nationwide network of 26 leading colleges and universities preparing young people from foster care to become America's next generation of leaders. LSU was named a partner school in early 2026 and immediately maximized the impact of an inaugural commitment by Zoom, which is funding tuition, fees and books for 14 LSU students through scholarships awarded this fall. The MMR Fostering the Future Endowed Scholarship expands this impact, both in terms of the perpetual funding base achieved through an endowment and by offering flexibility to fund room and board-costs that can put college out of reach for students without a financial support system.

MMR Group was founded and is led by LSU alumnus and former LSU football player James B. "Pepper" Rutland, a graduate of LSU's first construction management class. He said of his company's gift, "LSU gave me opportunities that enriched my life and forged the foundation for a successful career. At MMR, we're proud to create those same opportunities for young people who are ready to build their own futures. Generations of LSU students who have been part of the foster care system will have the resources to earn their degrees and pursue everything in life that a strong education makes possible."

The National Youth Foster Institute highlights the life-changing potential of Fostering the Future scholarships:

• 50% of foster children finish high school
• 3% of former foster children obtain a college degree
• 20% will become homeless after aging out of the foster care system
• 1 in 2 will have gainful employment by age 24

LSU President Wade Rousse said, "Access is a top priority for LSU, because circumstances should not determine whether talent and ambition thrive. MMR Group's visionary investment in LSU's Fostering the Future partnership will be transformative for youth from foster care who aspire to earn an LSU degree. MMR's generosity will forever have a direct link to the upward economic mobility and long-term success of every student who receives this scholarship."

The announcement came during the LSU-Alabama football game weekend in recognition of the growth and strength of the Fostering the Future network-for which University of Alabama is also a partner-and LSU's success putting its mission into practice.

"Pepper Rutland's leadership and MMR's generosity are creating an extraordinary legacy," said LSU Foundation President & CEO Krista Raney. "Young people who have experienced foster care will arrive at LSU years and decades from now knowing that someone invested in their potential before they ever set foot on campus."

To read and watch the story of one of LSU's first Fostering the Future scholarship recipients or to contribute to the MMR Fostering the Future Endowed Scholarship, visit givelsu.org/future.

Louisiana State University
Rooted in Louisiana and reaching across the world, Louisiana State University educates and prepares future leaders, drives transformative research and innovation, and translates knowledge into solutions that improve health, strengthen communities and expand human potential.

MMR Group
MMR Group is the largest privately owned open-shop electrical and instrumentation contractor in the nation. Proudly headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, MMR employs more than 15,000 people and operates over 30 district offices across North America. The company is led by founder James B. "Pepper" Rutland, an LSU alumnus, former LSU football player, and graduate of LSU's first construction management class. MMR is committed to investing in its workforce and the communities it calls home.