Damian Lillard Establishes Scholarship in His Name at Portland State

Damian Lillard is “building a bridge for excellence,” and he’s building it to Portland.

That’s the news from Portland State University today, which announced that the former Trail Blazer and current Milwaukee Buck has launched the Damian Lillard Scholars program.

The Portland State scholarship is for $25,000 per year and available to students graduating from nine East Bay high schools.

Lillard, 34, grew up in Oakland, Calif., in the East Bay.

“I’m so happy this scholarship has come to fruition,” Lillard said in a statement. “Students from my community in the East Bay now have an opportunity to pursue a college education in my adopted community of Portland without financial burdens. My hope is that this scholarship becomes a stepping stone to a bright and promising future.”

Lillard conceived of the scholarship program himself, according to the PSU Foundation, and kicked it off with a “generous lead gift” in an undisclosed amount. Selected students will receive additional funds to cover expenses such as food, housing, clothing, textbooks and transportation.

For the 2025-26 academic year, 27 Damian Lillard Scholar-eligible students have applied to PSU, and 15 have been admitted so far.

The Damian Lillard Scholars program further solidifies the connection between the NBA All-Star and the Rose City, which endures after he was traded to the Bucks in September 2023. In an interview with the NBA, Lillard mentioned that his younger sister graduated from PSU and that he played against the school in the Big Sky Conference when he was a student athlete at Weber State University.

“Obviously, living in Portland for the amount of time that I did, I know that it’s a great city and a great environment for these kids to be able to have an opportunity to transition from high school to college,” Lillard told the NBA.