An anonymous donor has pledged about $50 million to the University of Washington’s Medical Laboratory Science Program to cover senior-year clinical tuition for in-state students and to expand enrollment to 100 students over ten years. The gift will cover clinical tuition estimated at $4,000–$5,000 per senior and immediately benefits 35 students currently in clinical rotations. University leaders say the investment will reduce student debt and help address a statewide shortage of medical laboratory specialists.">
Anonymous $50 Million Gift Will Cover UW Medical Laboratory Students’ Senior-Year Tuition
SGM/ZUMA Press Wire/ShutterstockA photo of the University of Washington Campus
An anonymous benefactor has pledged roughly $50 million to the University of Washington to support students in the Medical Laboratory Science Program. The gift will cover senior-year clinical tuition for in-state students and fund efforts to expand the program over the next decade.
What the Gift Covers
The university says the donation will be applied to senior-year clinical tuition for in-state students — roughly $4,000 to $5,000 per student. The Medical Laboratory Science Program currently enrolls 70 students, 35 of whom have begun their senior clinical rotations.
Student Reactions
Students reacted with surprise and relief when the announcement was made. "I was shocked at first, and it took a second for me to process that they are going to pay our tuition. And then I felt a lot of relief," said Jasmine Wertz, a 30-year-old senior. Fellow student Jennifer Wang told the Seattle Times the cohort had been asked to "dress properly" for big news — and that none of them expected such a generous gift. "We thought we were going to be in trouble," she said.
Smith Collection/Gado/GettyA photo of the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington
Why It Matters
The Medical Laboratory Science Program trains graduates to perform clinical laboratory testing for hospitals and clinics, work in public health agencies, conduct research in academic and commercial laboratories, and teach in higher education. Faculty and administrators emphasized the vital but often unseen role laboratory professionals play in patient care.
"Some people don’t even know we exist, or they think it’s robots or something," Dr. Geoff Baird said in an interview with the Seattle Times.
Dr. Tim Dellit, CEO of UW Medicine and dean of the School of Medicine, told students, "You are the unsung heroes. You work behind the scenes that allow all of the health care machinery to work."
Program Growth And Workforce Impact
Beyond immediate tuition relief, the donation will be reinvested to expand enrollment, with a goal of growing the program to 100 students over the next ten years. University officials highlighted that Washington state faces a shortage of medical laboratory specialists even as demand for lab services grows. They also noted that only two baccalaureate-level medical laboratory science programs currently operate in the state, making this investment strategically important for regional workforce development.
Karen Ducey/GettyA sign outside the UW Medicine Research facilities in South Lake Union on December 10, 2020
"This donor’s selfless generosity will allow us to reduce the debt burden for our students and attract more young people to the field to ensure that our region has the skilled laboratory workforce that is so critical to high-quality, timely patient care," Dellit said.
UW President Robert J. Jones added that the gift supports the university’s priority of making higher education more accessible and debt-free, and that the long-term effect will be more trained healthcare professionals and improved health for Washington residents.
The donor has chosen to remain anonymous. University leaders will manage the funds to sustain tuition coverage and support the program’s planned expansion over the coming decade.
