Yale School of Medicine Dean Robert Alpern, MD, said during his annual address that he aims to have students graduate from the school debt-free, the Yale Daily News reports.
Three things to know:
1. Dr. Alpern, who plans to retire once his tenure as dean ends June 30, said he ultimately envisions students will graduate from the school debt-free. But to do so, he said the New Haven, Conn.-based institution must reduce net attendance costs.
"To me, the goal is a unit loan of zero. Which means that any student could come to Yale School of Medicine without debt. I think debt-free should be our mantra," he said.
2. While the average student at a private medical school accrues roughly $192,000 in debt during their four-year education, Yale students accrue roughly $121,000. However, Dr. Alpern speculates that after changes to the institution's unit loan, students would be able to graduate with less than $100,000 in debt.
3. Dr. Alpern also addressed the New York City-based NYU School of Medicine's decision last year to go tuition-free. He said that while other institutions may choose to do so, going tuition-free would cost Yale about $20 million per year.
To access the full report, click here.