Elon Musk Has a Big Plan, and It Involves a University

Leah Barkoukis | December 15, 2023 3:00 PM

Entrepreneur Elon Musk is planning to open a university in Austin, Texas.

According to a recent tax filing for one of his charities, The Foundation, Musk donated $100 million to open a primary and secondary school in Texas focused on STEM. Once that’s operational, the school will expand to offering higher education as well.

The Austin-based school plans to start small, enrolling about 50 students, but will grow with time.

Donations and tuition will fund activities, but financial assistance will also be offered for low-income students.

“The school does not want the inability to pay tuition or fees to be a barrier for students. Thus, if a student is admitted to the school, tuition and financial support will be provided to the extent of available resources,” the tax filing states.

According to The Foundation, the curriculum will “combine formal instruction by experienced faculty in subjects such as mathematics, science, engineering and physics, alongside hands-on learning experience including simulations, case studies, fabrication/design projects, and labs."

An executive director, teachers, and administrators are currently being hired.

While a name has not been released, in 2021 Musk joked about what he would call a university if he did create one.

NEWS: Elon Musk plans to establish a STEM-focused primary and secondary school, with eventual expansion into a university offering high-level education, featuring traditional and hands-on learning methods.

- The university will employ “experienced faculty” and feature a… pic.twitter.com/bUCx8QYIN1
— X News Daily (@xDaily) December 13, 2023

This will be the second school Musk opens. He founded the online-only Astra Nova School for students between the ages of 10 and 14.