TYLER, Texas — The Tyler School of Medicine at the University of Texas at Tyler was granted millions of dollars in funding it will receive over the next 10 years. The University of Texas Board of Regents approved $100 million in Permanent University Funding (PUF) for the start-up institute on Thursday.

“The opportunity for the regents to invest again in this once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve the quality of life and health for the people of East Texas is gratifying,” said Kevin P. Eltife, chairman of the UT System Board of Regents. “We are equally as focused on the future of the medical school as we are on the present, and we enthusiastically await the arrival of the first class of medical students in Tyler next summer.”

A decade’s worth of funding toward capital projects would help put the new medical school in a position to afford the best in faculty and students, as well as biomedical research and core residency programs.

“The Board of Regents has once again reinforced its commitment to the health of Texas at every possible opportunity,” said UT System Chancellor James B. Milliken. “This latest allocation reflects the emphasis on East Texas as a vital region for high-quality medical education and health care delivery, and today’s decision by the regents represents yet another demonstration of their commitment.”

UT Tyler President Kirk Calhoun, MD, responded to the board’s investment, stating, “The UT Tyler community and I express profound gratitude to the regents for consistently and generously ensuring that our new medical school is poised for the most successful launch imaginable.”