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The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing received a $125 million gift from a private donor to fund nurse practitioner (NP) education, the school announced this week.

Leonard Lauder, a long-time leader at Estée Lauder and a Penn alum, is donating the gift to pay for the full tuition and living stipends for up to 40 NP students annually. The first 10 beneficiaries will be named later this year for the 2022-2023 school year.

Those selected to receive the funding must already be enrolled full-time in a 2-year primary care program. Penn Nursing has three primary care NP programs: adult gerontology, family, and psychiatric mental health. Beneficiaries must commit to spending at least half of their clinical education with a Penn community partner in the metro Philadelphia area, and must spend at least 2 years after graduation working in underserved communities.

Penn Nursing is working with community access centers in such areas to craft educational programming, so that graduates will be better prepared to work there. The donation will also fund some of that work and will be used to create a professorial position to work with the centers, oversee the and assist with the nursing school curriculum.

"My support for Nurse Practitioners comes out of a deep respect for what they do, based on firsthand experience. In a doctor's office, I am often first assessed by a Nurse Practitioner," Lauder wrote posted to Penn Nursing's website. "I've learned about the obstacles they face -- taking on student debt, working to support a family at the same time. I realized I needed to support these dedicated nursing professionals."

"This gift is a sign of my appreciation and support, and an acknowledgement of a fundamental reality: Nurse Practitioners are key to solving this country's acute shortage of quality health care. I hope that this gift will inspire others to step forward and dedicate their resources and support to the Nursing profession," he continued.

Lauder's gift is believed to be the largest ever given to an American nursing school. "This sustained support is unprecedented," said Antonia M. Villarruel, PhD, RN, dean of nursing at the school.

Lauder focused on NPs because he believes boosting this workforce can help address the dwindling access to primary care providers nationally, Villarruel noted. (Lauder was not available to comment.)

She hopes Lauder's donation encourages other philanthropists to help address healthcare workforce shortages. "I know a lot of deans are hoping" for this, she said, pointing out that Montana State University's College of Nursing in August.

Most nursing schools do not have adequate funding to meet student tuition needs, Villarruel explained, and there is little federal support. Penn Nursing's NP program tuition and student fees combined exceed $78,000 annually -- and this does not even account for costs of living.

She said that Lauder's donation "makes a dent, and it will make a larger dent over time."

While Lauder and Penn Nursing began corresponding about this gift before COVID-19 emerged, "the pandemic has certainly exacerbated" the primary care shortage, Villarruel noted.

"We are just thankful," she added. "I can't wait to see what we're able to do."

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