Geffen’s $150 Million Gift Makes Yale Drama School Tuition-Free

David GeffenPhotographer: Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images

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By Janet Lorin and Amanda L. Gordon

June 30, 2021 at 1:56 PM UTC

Updated on

June 30, 2021 at 4:12 PM UTC

Billionaire David Geffen is donating $150 million to Yale University, a gift that will make its drama school tuition-free.

The Yale School of Drama will be renamed for Geffen, the Ivy League university in New Haven, Connecticut, said Wednesday in a statement. It will eliminate tuition for all degree and certificate students, including returning ones, starting in the fall semester that begins in August.