Another Medical School Goes Largely Tuition-Free

Another medical school is going largely tuition-free after a massive donation. Bloomberg Philanthropies gave $1 billion to Johns Hopkins University, meaning tuition will now be free for most medical students, the Wall Street Journal reports. Specifically, students whose families earn less than $300,000 will be eligible to have their full tuition covered, while those from families earning up to $175,000 will also be eligible to have their living expenses and fees covered, Axios reports. The university said two-thirds of current or incoming students will be eligible for free tuition and that they will receive updated financial aid packages reflecting the change, the Hill reports.

"As the US struggles to recover from a disturbing decline in life expectancy, our country faces a serious shortage of doctors, nurses, and public health professionals—and yet, the high cost of medical, nursing, and graduate school too often bars students from enrolling," Michael Bloomberg says in a statement. Johns Hopkins' medical school tuition is almost $65,000 a year, and medical students graduate with an average of $104,000 in student loan debt. The movement to make medical school free is growing; tuition is already covered for all students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and at New York University's medical school. Columbia University also covers tuition for medical students with financial need. (More Johns Hopkins University stories.)