SEATTLE — Seniors in the University of Washington’s Medical Laboratory Science Undergraduate Program learned Monday that their clinical rotation tuition would be fully covered through an anonymous donation expected to exceed $50 million over the next 50 years, university officials announced.
The transformative gift, from a Washington state resident, will provide annual disbursements to the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology Fund for Excellence. University administrators estimate the funding will cover in-state tuition for clinical rotations for all 35 program seniors for decades and enable the program to expand from 70 to 100 students over the next decade.
The donation addresses a critical financial burden for students at a particularly demanding stage of their education. During their senior year, medical laboratory science students complete clinical rotations at local hospitals and laboratories while also preparing for their national board exam, making it nearly impossible to maintain part-time employment…