FORT WORTH, Texas — For the second consecutive year an entire class of medical students at Texas Christian University and University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine is receiving the gift of free tuition.
Danielle Sader is one of 60 students in the Class of 2024 who has been walking with a little more pep in their step, knowing she and her classmates are graduating from medical school with less debt tied to their name.
"They have done a tremendous favor to all of us," said Sader.
Over spring break Sader and her classmates were awarded a scholarship valued for at full year's worth of tuition.
"The burden that gets lifted makes it to where we can really focus on the greater good, going into the community and serving, and to open up the possibilities to where we see ourselves in three years from now," said Sader.
In 2019, the average debt for graduating medical students entering residency was a little more than $200,000.
Since the medical school has welcomed its first class, and thanks to generous donors, every medical graduating class has been awarded a year's worth of tuition.
"Just from the financial aspect it starts obviously back in undergrad. Classmates of mine have had to take out undergraduate loans, graduate school loans, and not to mention applying to medical school can be quite expensive," said Sader. "I worked three jobs just to make sure I didn't limit myself."
With a gracious Texas-size donation of this magnitude, financial woes may be the least of concerns for the Class of 2024 future medical doctors.
"Being a Dallas-Ft. Worth native, I hope to serve this community someday," said Sader. "They have done a tremendous favor to all of us, and I hope that we're able to pay it back someday by just being wonderful physicians who just serve their patients and make everyone proud."