Tyler Perry has helped Tuskegee University graduate Janay Duberry begin her next academic chapter by paying the remaining balance on her Harvard Graduate School of Education tuition.
Duberry revealed the support through Instagram after receiving financial aid from Harvard but still facing a gap she did not know how she would cover.
According to People, Perry stepped in after learning about her ambitions as a writer and educator.
“Thank you for investing in my purpose and helping make this dream a reality,” Duberry wrote in her message to the filmmaker.
Harvard Aid Did Not Cover the Full Cost
Duberry said Harvard had already offered her generous financial assistance, but the award did not eliminate her full tuition bill. “I still faced a significant financial gap and did not know how I would make this dream a reality,” she wrote.
Duberry did not disclose how much she owed or indicate that Perry’s assistance covered housing, health insurance, books or other expenses beyond the remaining tuition balance.
Harvard’s published budget lists full-time tuition for a standard residential Master’s in Education student at $64,428 for the 2026 –2027 academic year. She said Perry’s payment would allow her to begin graduate school with greater stability and peace of mind.
Duberry Plans to Build on Her Work as a Writer and Educator
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Duberry graduated magna cum laude from Tuskegee University in May with a degree in English. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in education at Harvard. She described graduate school as an opportunity to strengthen her voice and move closer to completing the books and educational projects she has been developing.
“Your generosity has opened the door for me to continue my education, strengthen my voice as a writer and educator, and move closer to the forthcoming books and educational work I have been building,” she wrote to Perry.
Duberry’s interest in writing was already visible at Tuskegee, where she served as an assistant editor for the third issue of The Tuskegee Review, the university’s online literary journal. “You are a true light in the Black community,” she told Perry. “I love you, and I am overwhelmed, humbled, and grateful beyond words.”
She Continued Thanking Perry After the Announcement
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Duberry first announced Perry’s assistance on July 31 and shared another message the following day. “He generously covered the remaining balance of my tuition, allowing me to enter this next chapter with greater stability and peace of mind,” she wrote in the follow-up post.
Duberry also emphasized the role Tuskegee played in preparing her for Harvard. “Mother Tuskegee prepared me to walk through doors I once only dreamed about,” she wrote. “Harvard became the next chapter, but Tuskegee will always be the foundation.”
Vanderbilt University professor and author Michael Eric Dyson also praised Perry, describing him as “one of the most generous human beings on earth” and saying the assistance had changed Duberry’s life trajectory.
Perry Has Previously Provided Direct Financial Help
In March 2026, he distributed $1,000 Visa gift cards to approximately 250 Transportation Security Administration officers at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport during a partial government shutdown that had left them working without pay.
Perry also donated nearly $1.4 million in November 2025 to organizations helping families facing the potential interruption of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
Those recipients included the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Baby2Baby, Meals on Wheels Atlanta, Caring for Others, All for Lunch, the Ron Clark Academy and Goodr.