David Geffen, co-founder of DreamWorks Pictures, gave the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA an additional $46 million to extend full-ride scholarships to 120 more students, the school announced Dec. 2.
The gift ups the scholarship fund in Mr. Geffen's name to $146 million — a sum that will enable a total of 414 students over a decade to attend UCLA's medical school on full scholarships. Geffen Scholars receive full tuition and a living stipend through the program, which began with a $100 million gift from Mr. Geffen in 2012.
"The Geffen Scholars program is life-altering for our students and their future patients," Kelsey Martin, MD, PhD, dean of the Geffen School of Medicine, said in a press release. "Mr. Geffen's generosity has remarkable ripple effects."
Since launching the scholarship fund, UCLA has tripled the percentage of students who graduate from its medical school debt-free, from 17 percent to 45 percent. Reduced debt helps students focus on patient care and pursue their specialty of choice, rather than deciding based on future income.
In addition to the $146 million scholarship fund, Mr. Geffen donated $200 million to the medical school in 2002. His gifts to UCLA total more than $450 million.
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