The University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science and the Arts recently announced that it received $50 million from the Zell Family Foundation on behalf of Chicago philanthropist Helen Zell. The gift will help 22 graduate students in the creative writing program put pen to paper and draft the works that might be added to the cannon of American literature or top the bestsellers list. 

"The goal of this Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program is twofold - to ease the financial burdens of talented budding authors so they have time to write, and to teach them the skills that will help them refine their voice," said Helen Zell. "We want to capture important stories that might otherwise go untold.

The $50 million permanently funds a MFA in Creative Writing Program, which provides students with funding to cover their tuition, a stipend for additional costs and healthcare coverage that extends past the end of the two-year course so they can focus on their work after graduation. 

This is the second impactful gift Zell has made to the University of Michigan. In 2004, Zell provided the school with $10 million in seed funding to launch the Masters of Fine Arts program. 

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