Medical school is infamous for its ridiculously high tuition. In fact, the average student loan a medical student has is about $190,000. The cost coupled with the number of years needed to become a professional makes medical school a very difficult academic and career path. However, New York University (NYU) has been trying to combat these issues and encourage the influx of students into the school by providing its current and future medical students free tuition.

NYU’s goal is for more students to specialize in primary care as most turn to high-paying positions in order to regain the amount they lost in tuition and student loans. Primary care students earn significantly less than students in specialized fields. As a result, in the U.S., the gap in the ratio of physicians to specialists is astounding. The university’s funding for the enrollments will come from its $600 million endowment. However, while the school will cover tuition fees, they will not support students financially for their accommodations and other fees. Moving forward, the process of actually being accepted into a medical school is an impediment to the actual actions of the school itself.

Applying to schools can also cost up to $10,000 with application and test fees, with no assurance of being accepted. Furthermore, many argue that providing free tuition does not directly correlate to a rise in primary care students as those who are planning to take on lucrative careers like ophthalmology and dermatology will also take advantage of the school’s generosity. Moreover, the school is also hoping to improve the racial and socioeconomic diversity in its medical program as students who are black or Hispanic only make up five to six percent of the program. A great portion of the students in the medical field come from families with high earnings. Another incentive for the school is to receive more applicants as it is more compelling for students to go to a school that provides free tuition.

If you are a student considering med-school and the costs are making you doubt your choices, NYU’s decision is great news for you. Furthermore, more schools might follow suit and also offer greater financial aid that might extend to fields outside med school—like law school, an equally costly academic path.NYU’s choice of offering free tuition is still heavily debated and scrutinized, but ultimately, the school is putting its students first.