Wayne State University (WSU) announced a grant to send 10 qualified students through medical school tuition free.

M. Roy Wilson, WSU's president, told The Detroit Free Press the idea for the program came from his own experience going through Harvard's medical school. Wilson applied early and was still wait-listed, though he eventually got in and completed his M.D.

"I want Wayne State to be known as the place for training biomedical scientists and MDs," he told the newspaper. "We want kids who can go anywhere, but choose to go to Wayne."

Med-Direct is aimed at bright students from low-income families and would pay for four years of undergraduate tuition and housing, as well as four years of medical school tuition. WSU will accept applications for the program, which begins next summer, starting Jan. 15.

"Medical school is so difficult to get into, even for people with good credentials," he said. "Knowing that I was in early meant I didn't have some of the anxiety some of my classmates had. It allowed me to take classes like philosophy and advanced English that really helped me be a better person and a better physician ultimately.

"Students who are in this program will really be able to emphasize learning and not competition with other students."

To qualify for WSU's Med-Direct program, students will have to be a U.S. citizen and permanent resident and will need at least a 3.5 GPA and 1340 SAT or 30 ACT score, The Free Press reported.

"Incoming freshman who are admitted to the program will arrive on campus in the summer to participate in summer enrichment courses focused on chemistry, biology, physics and writing," Ambika Mathur, dean of Wayne State's Graduate School and someone integral to Med-Direct's design, said in a statement. "In addition to their early arrival on campus, Wayne Med-Direct cohorts will participate in seminars, workshops and hands-on research and clinical training in the School of Medicine throughout their undergraduate careers."