Is UCF med school fueling a trend?

UCF's medical school hasn't even opened yet, but is its student financing already a model for other med schools?

It seems the Cleveland Clinic is about to go tuition-free, giving all incoming students starting this summer scholarships for the tuition of more than $40,000 a year. The change starts this summer, according to the Wall Street Journal. Students will still have to pay for living expenses, which will cost about $21,800 including fees, equipment and books.

UCF just finished raising $6.4-million in donations to cover its own medical school scholarships, $40,000 a year over four years for the inaugural class of 40 medical school students who start in fall 2009.

The WSJ notes that schools like UCF are leading a national trend of schools trying to ease the financial debt of students.