David Geffen Establishes $100 Million Scholarship Fund for UCLA Medical Students

Financial Stability

Entertainment executive and philanthropist David Geffen has established a $100 million scholarship fund that will cover tuition and expenses for UCLA medical students.

At UCLA, we take great pride in our history of breaking new ground and in providing extraordinary opportunities for deserving scholars from all backgrounds. Today, I am delighted to share news of a bold new program that will add to UCLA’s considerable legacy in both regards, thanks to the tremendous generosity of David Geffen.

Mr. Geffen, a legendary entertainment executive and philanthropist, has established the $100 million David Geffen Medical Scholarship Fund, which will cover 100 percent of the cost of tuition, room and board, books and supplies, and other expenses for a significant number of UCLA’s medical students. The fund will eliminate the sizable financial burdens that many new physicians face upon graduation from medical school. Doing so will enable them to pursue careers in medicine guided by their passions and interests—and the needs of our communities—rather than by their need to repay student loans.

With this gift, Mr. Geffen is now the largest individual donor in UCLA history. The medical school was named in his honor after a $200 million unrestricted gift in 2002. The new scholarships, which are merit-based, will be awarded to students beginning with those entering in the fall of 2013.

Our David Geffen School of Medicine is already among the nation’s best. This transformative investment in the future leaders of medicine and science will dramatically improve our ability to compete for the very best medical school applicants for generations to come. Mr. Geffen’s visionary commitment will change the landscape not only for UCLA but, more broadly, for medical education and the health sciences. We are deeply grateful for his partnership.

I invite you to learn more about the David Geffen Medical Scholarship Fund on UCLA Newsroom.