Something needed to be done to keep medical and health sciences education in reach of our students, so we've focused on holding the line on tuition increases. And we're getting the job done. President Ryan credits the board with helping to keep tuition flat. I think that's a major accomplishment. While we've held the line on tuition, many U.S. medical schools have had tuition increases beyond the rate of inflation.
Tuition is always a concern in higher education, but is a concern especially among medical students.
At a point, the cost of medical school debt can exceed a young physician's ability to repay the loans in a reasonable time period. Debt load may then discourage a physician from practicing in an area where income opportunities may be lower but the need for health care, and especially primary care, is great. At the same time as we've held the line on tuition, the University endowment has made significant gains. The increase has resulted from more focused investment strategies and favorable market conditions. These and other developments are all part of our progress.