Funding advances Santander’s $25 million commitment to education, employability, and entrepreneurship.

Santander US today announced the allocation of $13 million in grants to more than 30 colleges and universities across the United States for 2025 and 2026. The funding represents the next phase of Santander’s broader $25 million commitment to education, employability, and entrepreneurship, which supports programs designed to expand access to higher education and create pathways to opportunity.

These multi-year grants will support a wide range of initiatives, including scholarships, academic programming, student services, and workforce readiness efforts at the following institutions, ensuring they have the resources needed to deliver sustained impact for their students and local community:

The $13 million allocation builds on other Santander US initiatives, such as:

• Santander Open Scholarships, offering undergraduate students nationwide the chance to receive up to $20,000 in funding based on academic merit and financial need.
• Over 700 scholarships directly supporting students enrolled at institutions within Santander’s academic network across the United States.
• Santander Open Academy, a global online learning platform open to all that offers 100% free access to courses and resources designed to help people build the skills most in demand and prepare for better job opportunities.

Together these programs further strengthen Santander’s long-standing global investment in higher education and demonstrate its commitment to advancing access to education and setting students up for success in a rapidly changing workforce.

Santander has been helping people and businesses prosper for nearly 30 years through education, employability, and entrepreneurship. Over that time, the company has allocated more than €2.4 billion and supported more than 3.7 million people and businesses through partnerships with over 1,100 universities. In the United States, this $13 million in new funding marks the latest milestone in Santander’s ongoing support for the next generation of leaders.

Santander’s global impact and continued investment in education and opportunity were recently recognized by Fortune magazine, which named the company to its “Change the World” list for the third consecutive year, honoring businesses that are driving positive social impact.