She’s a 22-year-old TikTok star. Now, Alix Earle is funding a Miami college scholarship
TikTok sensation Alix Earle graduated from the University of Miami in May. Scroll through her TikTok page and you’ll see how much she loved being a Cane — attending morning classes and cheering at basketball games with Sebastian the mascot.
Earle credits UM with getting to where she is today, which is why she knew she wanted to be involved with the school after graduation. Now, the 22-year-old online star is funding a scholarship for business students.
“I’m excited to stay involved with them and do more than just be an online presence and be there in person and make an impact,” Earle said in a phone interview with the Miami Herald.
What is the Alix Earle Scholarship?
The Alix Earle Scholarship will give financial assistance to students in their junior or senior year “demonstrating significant potential in the field of business,” the application site says. “This scholarship is designed to break down barriers and help you realize your dreams.”
Neither the private university nor Earle disclosed the donation amount. UM confirmed that the scholarship will be recurring.
In addition to a résumé, applicants had to submit a video answering these two questions: “What impact would this scholarship have on your educational and career goals?” and “Why is it important to you to be a student at the University of Miami?”
“It was super moving watching some of the videos of the students and hearing their stories,” Earle said.
How she rose to TikTok fame
Earle, originally from New Jersey, moved to Miami in 2019 to attend the University of Miami. She graduated in May from the Herbert Business School.
Earle said her following started to grow in 2022 when she began posting videos showing her acne and talking about her experience with accutane, an acne treatment drug. People online find her content relatable: “You were genuinely the first influencer that made me feel comfortable with my acne,” a user commented on one of her recent skin-related videos.
“I think people were really just intrigued by what was going on behind the scenes and I have a close connection with my audience,” Earle said. “I feel like they’re my friends and we’re just updating each other [on] our lives.”
From there, Earle said, the videos turned into ‘get ready with me’ videos. Sitting in her room while at UM, she did her makeup on camera as she told her audience about the products she’s using or where she’s going, like class or a night out in Miami.
“Everything kind of took off from there. It was really a snowball effect,” she said.
The snowball got bigger and bigger as time passed. She now has more than five million followers on TikTok and almost three million on Instagram. She’s had partnerships with Victoria’s Secret and makeup brands Tarte and Rare Beauty (Selena Gomez’s makeup line) in the past.
“I never really dreamed of being able to donate to anyone, or anything really, at this point in my career,” Earle said.
Beyond financial aid, she wants to be a mentor and friend
Details about the scholarship recipients are being finalized, according to Earle.
“I wanted to be as helpful as possible and if that means it’s applicable for more than one student then that’s what we’re going to do,” she said.
“With this scholarship, Alix has shown real leadership among Miami Herbert’s young alumni,” Ann Olazábal, interim dean of the business school, said in a statement. “Philanthropic efforts like hers show the tangible impact our alumni community has. Scholarships in particular are vital to reducing financial barriers for promising students and encouraging the next generation to pursue their business dreams at the U.”
The application period closed on July 14, but Earle said she hopes to continue her contributions as time goes on and perhaps increase them in the future.
But more than just making a financial donation, Earle wants to be a mentor for the students awarded her scholarship.
“The biggest part of it for me was being that support system for another student,” she said. “Like, I want to be able to get to know them, help them, talk to them, be their mentor just because I feel like I had a lot of support throughout my four years with my friends, my family, my professors, and I want to be that support system for someone else.
“And, you know, if they’re having financial stress, I want to be able to relieve a little bit of that and help them complete and follow their dreams.”
