An anonymous donor has made a landmark gift to the University of Washington that will cover senior-year clinical-rotation tuition for every undergraduate enrolled in UW Medicine’s Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) Program, a cost typically running $4,000–$5,000 per quarter. The endowment is expected to generate more than $50 million in disbursements over 50 years, ensuring the benefit continues in perpetuity.
Why it matters: Washington and the broader WWAMI region face an acute shortage of trained medical laboratory professionals as demand for diagnostic services outpaces workforce supply. The MLS program currently enrolls 70 students, with plans to expand to 100 students over the next decade — growth that this gift will directly accelerate.
Students say the tuition coverage relieves a significant financial pressure during the program’s full-time, 40-hour-per-week clinical rotation phase, when holding outside employment becomes nearly impossible. UW Medicine leadership says the gift meaningfully advances the university’s push toward more accessible, debt-free pathways into healthcare careers.
The donation also underscores the critical role medical laboratory scientists play across hospitals, clinics, public health agencies, research labs, and academic institutions — a workforce increasingly essential to timely, high-quality patient care.
KEY QUOTES:
“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… It’s very hard to find time between studying and doing rotations to be able to hold a job.”
“Thank you for acknowledging our major and our career as a viable source of healthcare.”
Jasmine Wertz, MLS Student
“We are deeply grateful to the donor whose transformative generosity is making this and our program’s growth possible.”
Dr. Geoffrey S. Baird, Chair, Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology
“This donor’s selfless generosity will allow us to reduce the debt burden for our students and attract more young people to the field.”
Dr. Tim Dellit, CEO, UW Medicine
“This extraordinary gift advances one of our highest priorities: making a UW education accessible and debt-free… Its profound impact on student success will lead to more trained healthcare professionals and better health for all Washington residents.”
Robert J. Jones, President, University of Washington
