WSU receives $2M scholarship match to cut medical student debt and boost physician pipeline

Washington State University’s Floyd College of Medicine in Spokane has received a $2 million donor-funded scholarship match from Tom and Barbara Wilson and Barbara Stephanus to expand student financial aid and train more physicians. A matching grant, the funding will double contributions to endowed and current-use scholarships through 2026, reducing student debt and incentivizing graduates to serve rural and underserved communities. The effort aims to offset rising education costs—where over 60% of medical students carry over $200,000 in debt—and build a sustainable physician pipeline statewide.