• Video
  • Shop
  • Culture
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Food
  • Living
  • Style
  • Travel
  • News
  • Book Club
  • GMA3: WYNTK
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Contact Us
  • © 2025 ABC News
  • Living

Brothers raise money to help students afford to attend HBCUs

0:40
Brothers help underprivileged students afford historically Black colleges
Courtesy C-Note Foundation
ByEmma Newman
August 06, 2021, 8:00 AM

Three brothers are working to create endowments to help students afford to attend historically Black colleges and universities.

After struggling to afford to attend a HBCU and taking on student loans, Victor Collins started the C-Note Foundation in 2010. Collins told "Good Morning America" that he started the foundation so that other students would not be in the same situation he was.

Victor, along with his two brothers, Chantin and Daniel Collins created the foundation's first endowment at their alma mater, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

The scholarships that the endowment gives are reserved for students in the College of Engineering who have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and either reside in Durham, North Carolina or graduated from Hillside High School, North Carolina, the university said in a press release. The endowment is now worth $52,000.

Editor’s Picks

Doctor pays tribute to parents with graduation photos in the fields where they work

  • Jul 26, 2021

Taylor Swift donates over $30K to help student pay college tuition

  • Aug 20, 2020

Mom of 5 graduates from college nearly 30 years after starting her degree

  • May 07, 2022

"We felt like, 'Wow. We have to pay this [student loan] money back. How cool it would have been if we could have had some additional resources to help ... pay for school,'" Victor, the founder and CEO of the foundation, said. "We felt like [HBCU endowments] would be … a good way to pay it forward. That way, future kids would be less burdened with school debt."

In 2021, student loan debt exceeded $1.7 trillion, according to estimates by the Federal Reserve. This reality is even bleaker for Black Americans, who owe an average of $25,000 more in student debt than their white counterparts, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

A C-Note fundraising event showcased local artists and musicians.
Courtesy C-Note Foundation

Victor told "Good Morning America" that his family's experience with college inspired him to create endowments for students to attend HBCUs.

After graduating and founding the foundation Victor made the endowment a priority.

To raise the money, the C-Note Foundation utilized businesses in North Carolina that were willing to help.

Related Articles

MORE: How a former financial aid counselor helps students navigate the costs of college

"A lot of private businesses have want[ed] to partner with us to do some fundraising, do some exposures to kids in the community," Victor said. "They're helping us with some funding, they're helping us build ... the scholarship[s], they're helping us provide an event space."

Chantin said he helped Victor with these fundraising efforts by assisting his brother with C-Note Foundation events that ranged from concerts to collaborations with beer companies.

Proceeds from the sales of Durty Bull Brewing Company's Black is Beautiful Chai Imperial Stout were donated to the C-Note Foundation.
Courtesy C-Note Foundation

"The events ended up being very successful, so we've turned it into a way to raise money for our endowment," Chantin explained. "That's really how we raised the majority of money, hosting events and making connections with businesses throughout the city.

The rest of the money was raised through donations from individuals that were inspired by the work that the C-Note Foundation was doing, Victor said.

"We've got a lot of personal gifts from people just by doing ads on Facebook and Instagram and things like that," Victor said. "People are really ... into the cause, and that really has helped us."

Related Articles

MORE: Teen gets college scholarship, donates savings to help other students in need

With these donations, the Collins brothers said the C-Note Foundation raised $26,000 for North Carolina A&T. This money was then matched by the school to create an endowment worth $52,000.

Now that the C-Note Foundation has raised the money needed for this endowment, Victor, Chantin and Daniel say they are focusing on raising money for endowments at other HBCUs in North Carolina, most notably North Carolina Central University and Shaw University. However, they believe that the C-Note Foundation's mission extends beyond the confines of North Carolina.

"We want to have an endowment at every HBCU across the country," Chantin said. "We plan to have to dominate every HBCU across the country to encourage kids of every background, particularly the underprivileged who don't have as much access... to go to [a] HBCU and see what our institutions have to offer."

Editor’s Picks

Doctor pays tribute to parents with graduation photos in the fields where they work

  • Jul 26, 2021

Taylor Swift donates over $30K to help student pay college tuition

  • Aug 20, 2020

Mom of 5 graduates from college nearly 30 years after starting her degree

  • May 07, 2022

Up Next in Living—

Walmart voluntarily recalls thousands of water bottles over potential injury hazard

July 11, 2025

July's full buck moon is arriving: What it means for your zodiac

July 10, 2025

Nonprofit reunites Camp Mystic campers with 'lost' stuffed toys

July 10, 2025

Woman says ChatGPT helped her pay off over $11K in debt

July 10, 2025

Shop GMA Favorites

ABC will receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Sponsored Content by Taboola

The latest lifestyle and entertainment news and inspiration for how to live your best life - all from Good Morning America.
  • Contests
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Children’s Online Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Press
  • Feedback
  • Shop FAQs
  • ABC News
  • ABC
  • All Videos
  • All Topics
  • Sitemap

© 2025 ABC News
  • Privacy Policy— 
  • Your US State Privacy Rights— 
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy— 
  • Interest-Based Ads— 
  • Terms of Use— 
  • Do Not Sell My Info— 
  • Contact Us— 

© 2025 ABC News