The US billionaire Michael Bloomberg wants to donate $ 1.8 billion to his former university - probably the largest donation to a university at all. With the money, just under 1.6 billion euros to be permanently funded scholarships Johns Hopkins University for students from low-income families, as the former New York Mayor declared on Sunday.

He himself was lucky enough to study at the elite university thanks to a student loan and a student job, the son of an accountant wrote in The New York Times. "My Hopkins diploma opened doors for me that would otherwise have remained closed and allowed me to live the American dream."

Other young people should have this opportunity, wrote the 76-year-old. With the help of his donation, the Johns Hopkins University should be able to offer "more generous financial help" and convert student loans into scholarships. Monetary questions should never play a role in accessing the university. Students should be spared, after their studies in front of a large debt mountain to stand.

Thank you, @ MikeBloomberg. #GoHop https://t.co/hP1xxJyPZ0

- Johns Hopkins U. (@Johns Hopkins) November 18, 2018

Elite universities often cost more than $ 50,000 a year in the US. For many young people this is an insurmountable hurdle.

Bloomberg first donated money to Johns Hopkins University the year after he graduated - then five dollars. He has already donated $ 1.5 billion. The now announced 1.8 billion dollars are added extra.

At the same time, Bloomberg emphasized that private donations alone are not enough. The government must support students more.

Born in modest circumstances, Bloomberg's career as an investment banker led him to found the financial news agency named after him - he is considered one of the richest people in the world. From 2002 to 2013 he was mayor of New York.

The private Johns Hopkins University was founded in 1876 - then the first university in the United States at all. The namesake is the industrialist Johns Hopkins, who made his fortune on the Baltimore-and-Ohio railroad and gave generous consideration to the university in his will. Johns-Hopkins is regularly ranked in the top 20 universities in the world, the main research areas are medicine and international politics.