A group of University of Washington students were called into a meeting on Monday and told to expect major news. "We thought we were going to be in trouble," jokes one student, but the opposite was true: It was announced that an anonymous donor had made a $50 million donation to the university's medical laboratory science program, enough to cover senior-year tuition for clinical rotations for the next 50 years, reports the Seattle Times.
The surprise announcement left students shocked and grateful, wiping out the $8,000 to $10,000 cost of a critical year that often means students can't work part-time jobs. The donor, described only as a Washington resident connected to the program, left behind one clue to their identity: "They also love Dick's burgers, which were piled atop several platters and handed out to stunned students as they celebrated the news," notes the Times.
The donation will also allow the program to expand from 70 to 100 students over the next decade and help address a national shortage of lab medicine scientists, an issue highlighted during the COVID pandemic. "What an incredible way for an unseen field to feel very seen," says one student. Another adds, per KING: "This is so generous and surprising. The future looks a little easier." The AP details other recent donations that are helping cover college costs for some students, including a $1 billion donation made by a former professor to New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine, effectively making tuition there free.
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