Yale Medical School Debt-free Medical Education

The Starr Foundation has funded scholarships for Yale School of Medicine (YSM) students for more than three decades.

Physicians from more diverse economic means are more likely to be familiar with the health obstacles facing lower- and middle-income families. Establishing a pipeline of medical providers from a wide range of backgrounds ensures that more patients can see doctors who better identify with them, communicate with them, and meet their needs.

In 2022, to ensure that it continues to attract the strongest applicants to be future physicians and scientists, YSM established a debt-free program with the goal of covering 100% of a student’s demonstrated financial need with scholarships. In 2023, it contributed another $25 million to bring YSM closer to its goal of providing a debt-free medical education.

More than half of the aspiring doctors who enroll in YSM’s MD program each year receive financial aid; yet, even with scholarships, most must borrow to cover their total costs. The Starr Foundation’s endowed Maurice R. Greenberg Scholarship Fund enables students with demonstrated financial need to graduate with no more than $10,000 in loans per year, which is a significantly lower debt than that of students at most U.S. medical schools.

The gift is aimed at helping YSM reach its ultimate goal of eliminating all debt for its medical students, thereby making medical education accessible.

“Financial aid opens doors for people who do not come from families with the means to support them through school. Both the medical community and society benefit when doctors reflect the diverse populations they serve.”

Andi Shahu, MD, MHS
a clinical fellow in cardiovascular medicine at the YSM/Yale New Haven Hospital