Froedtert Hospital to Award MATC $5.75 Million for Healthcare Scholarships; Largest Gift in MATC History

June 03, 2021

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Media contact: Tony Tagliavia, Director, Marketing & Communications, tagliav@matc.edu, (414) 297-6208
Donor contact: Laura Bray, Vice President, College Advancement & Communications, braylm@matc.edu, (414) 297-6048

Froedtert Hospital announced today an agreement to establish the Froedtert Hospital Scholarship Program, resulting in the largest gift to the Milwaukee Area Technical College Foundation in the college’s history. MATC and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will each receive $5.75 million to support a 20-year program to fund scholarships for students to pursue healthcare careers. Portions of the scholarship funds will also be allocated to graduates of Milwaukee Public Schools and will also include a need-based component. 

“This is the largest-ever donation to the Milwaukee Area Technical College Foundation and it represents the opportunity to transform hundreds of lives in our community,” MATC President Dr. Vicki J. Martin said. “We are grateful for this meaningful gift from Froedtert Hospital and together we will prepare Milwaukee’s diverse future health care workforce, reduce skills gaps and workforce shortages, and continue to break down the barriers that stand between students and an education that connects to a career with a family-supporting income. The support Froedtert Hospital is providing to our partners at UWM and the inclusion of opportunities specifically for MPS students will further strengthen the work of M3 to transform the future of Milwaukee through education.”

The scholarship program will be used toward full- and part-time certificate, undergraduate, and post-graduate courses of study in health-related fields at MATC and UWM. Froedtert Health developed the program to address multiple needs such as expanding the pool of highly skilled and well-trained health care workers in Southeast Wisconsin and meeting the needs of the ever-changing and increasingly sophisticated medical field.

“The Milwaukee Area Technical College and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee were chosen for their strong local presence and steadfast commitment to providing educational opportunities to those who live and work in the community,” said Eric Conley, executive vice president, Froedtert Health, and president, Froedtert Hospital. “Equally important was the opportunity each institution offers students who traditionally might not have access to post-secondary education, fundamental to the scholarship program. Foundationally, this gift also continues to honor our commitment to health equity across the region by helping eliminate health care disparities and addressing social determinants of health like education and employment.” 

This program will provide student scholarships to further strengthen the efforts of M3(pronounced M-cubed), a collaboration between Milwaukee’s three urban public education institutions: MPS, MATC and UWM. One major emphasis of this effort is actively working to eliminate equity gaps in education. The collaboration has already helped to increase MPS high school graduation rates, helped get more students prepared for college by completing federal financial aid forms and started a dual enrollment program to help MPS students earn college credit prior to graduation.

“We are extremely grateful to Froedtert Hospital for this gift, which will provide educational opportunities for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of students from Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin,” UWM Chancellor Mark Mone said. “It will support and enhance the work that UWM, MATC and the Milwaukee Public Schools are already doing through our M3 partnership to support families, improve graduation rates and better prepare students for college. Working together, we can support students in health care at all stages of their college career.”

The Froedtert Hospital Scholarship Program will be funded through a charitable grant from the Kurtis Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital Trust and is pursuant to a Community Partnership Initiative Funding Agreement between Froedtert Hospital, the Kurtis Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital Trust and the Wisconsin Attorney General. That agreement is subject to approval by the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Additional details on the scholarships will be provided when the agreement is finalized.

Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 170+ academic programs; and transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.