WSU College of Medicine Receives $2 Million in Scholarship Matching Funds

Donations from longtime supporters aim to reduce financial barriers for future doctors and encourage them to practice in rural and underserved areas of Washington.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 11:13pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a stethoscope repeated in a tight grid pattern, representing the iconic tools of the medical profession. The image utilizes flat, vibrant, and unnatural neon color palettes overlapping with heavy black photographic outlines to turn an everyday medical object into modern pop art.Scholarship funding aims to make medical education more accessible and encourage future doctors to serve rural and underserved communities.Pullman Today

Washington State University's Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine has received $2 million in matching funds for student scholarships, provided by longtime WSU supporters Tom and Barbara Wilson and first-time donor Barbara Stephanus. The goal is to make medical education more accessible and affordable, especially for students from rural, first-generation, and low socioeconomic backgrounds, and encourage them to practice in underserved areas of the state.

Why it matters

The College of Medicine was founded with a vision to train more physicians to serve communities across Washington, particularly in rural and underserved areas. This scholarship matching program aims to address the growing financial challenges facing aspiring doctors, including reduced federal funding and borrowing limits, in order to fulfill that mission.

The details

The $2 million in matching funds will be used to support endowed and current-use scholarships through the college's Medicine Multiplied campaign. The Wilsons are matching $1 million in philanthropic gifts to endowed scholarships, while Stephanus is providing $1 million to match donations to current-use scholarships. So far, the campaign has raised over $1 million for student scholarships, with the goal of reaching $10 million by the end of 2026.

  • The College of Medicine celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025.
  • The Medicine Multiplied scholarship campaign launched in fall 2025 and will run through 2026.
  • The $1 million match from Stephanus for current-use scholarships must be fulfilled by December 2026.

The players

Tom and Barbara Wilson

Longtime supporters of WSU who have provided $1 million in matching funds for endowed scholarships at the College of Medicine.

Barbara Stephanus

A first-time WSU donor who has provided $1 million in matching funds for current-use scholarships at the College of Medicine.

Dr. James Record

Dean of the WSU College of Medicine.

Libby Manthei

Senior director of development at the WSU College of Medicine.

Elson S. Floyd

The namesake of the WSU College of Medicine, whose vision inspired the creation of the school to serve Washington's students and communities.

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What they’re saying

“These matching funds are to help reduce the huge cost of going to medical school. We're trying to build it to $10,000 each year for each student to get that cost down so they can afford to work in the rural communities and stay out of student debt.”

— Tom Wilson

“From the outset, we were impressed by Elson Floyd's vision for a Washington-centric medical school that caters to Washington-based students and produces doctors who will come back and serve rural and underserved areas of Washington.”

— Barbara Wilson

“Without more doctors, we will not be able to implement the lifesaving medical knowledge that we have learned through research, which we've supported over the years.”

— Barbara Stephanus

“Our future physicians are facing unprecedented challenges to financing their education. The generosity of Tom and Barbara Wilson and Barbara Stephanus made our matched scholarship campaign possible, and Cougs have already stepped up to support our students. With this momentum, we can continue to fulfill Dr. Floyd's vision and meet the growing health care needs of our state.”

— Dr. James Record, Dean, WSU College of Medicine

“With this scholarship match, we are meeting the growing needs of our future doctors. Our donors set an ambitious goal for us. We intend to multiply their impact and the impact of every donor that gives to scholarships. Donors have until the end of the year to double their donation to current-use scholarships through this match program.”

— Libby Manthei, Senior Director of Development, WSU College of Medicine

What’s next

The Medicine Multiplied scholarship campaign will continue to raise funds through 2026, with the goal of reaching $10 million in total scholarship support.

The takeaway

This scholarship matching program is a critical step in making medical education more accessible and affordable for Washington students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, in order to fulfill the College of Medicine's mission of training more physicians to serve rural and underserved communities across the state.