GLASSBORO On Monday, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University received its largest gift yet a $1.055 million endowment to the Rowan University Foundation for medical student scholarships.

Lawrence J. Salva senior vice president, chief accounting officer and controller of Comcast Corporation and his wife, Rita, of Princeton, have pledged this amount to establish the Lawrence & Rita Salva Medical Scholars Fund at Rowan.

The gift will establish a $1 million endowment to benefit students enrolled at CMSRU for years to come. The additional $55,000, and the earnings on the endowment, will provide $100,000 in scholarships for the medical schools charter class. The Camden school will welcome its first class this August.

Today is truly a great day for Rowan, the medical school and South Jersey, said R.J. Tallarida, assistant vice president for development and acting executive director of the Rowan University Foundation. Larry is a 1977 graduate, and this is the largest one-time gift by a Rowan alum the Foundation has ever received.

Rowan Interim President Ali Houshmand called the gift transformative.

Every time this scholarship helps to train a doctor who goes on to treat many ill people, the legacy of the endowment continues, said Houshmand. This will benefit many for years to come, especially in a time when student debt is such a serious issue in the country.

CMSRU Founding Dean Dr. Paul Katz said medical students face an enormous amount of debt. The average medical student graduates with nearly $150,000 worth of debt, and he said about 30 percent of the students accepted at CMSRU will be considered disadvantaged. The tuition for a CMSRU student will be approximately $32,860 in-state and $52,680 for out-of-state students. According to Katz, the average annual cost of living for a medical school student in New Jersey is $57,400.

What kind of impact does this have on career choice? said Katz. This is why positions in primary care come up short. In 2020, there are predicted to be 40,000 fewer primary care physicians in this area than are needed.

Add to that, said Katz, that most students come to medical school already bearing debt from their undergraduate years.

The impact of this gift is a multiplier, said Katz. Every patient they touch will benefit from this generosity.

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Cooper Medical School of Rowan University receives $1.055 million gift from senior vice president of Comcast Corporation