BOZEMAN — Montana medical students who participate in the regional WWAMI program are being asked to commit to work in Montana for three years or pay additional fees.
The new fees enacted by the 2017 Montana Legislature will take effect in the fall of 2018.
Under WWAMI, students from Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho complete the first year of medical school in their home state and then receive state-subsidized tuition to attend the University of Washington’s School of Medicine.
Montana medical students pay nearly $21,000 over four years into a fund to help repay student loans for doctors who work in Montana’s rural and underserved communities.
Under the new law, if medical students decide against working in Montana, they will pay fees totaling about $52,000 over four years. And, if they break a commitment to work in Montana, they must pay repay $165,000 of the state support toward their degree.