Financing Your Dental Education

The major portion of financial support that is made available to dental students is provided, either directly or indirectly, by the federal government. These funds are channeled through such programs as:

1. Scholarships for Health Professions Students of Exceptional Financial Need
2. Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Programs
3. National Health Corps Scholarship Program

These three scholarship programs and loan programs are discussed in detail in Chapter 10. Financial aid officers at the dental schools should be consulted regarding these and all other forms of support.

There are also regional groups that provide support for students living in certain states. These are:

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)

Students who are residents of western states that do not have dental schools (Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming) may apply to the WICHE Student Exchange Programs. The home state contributes a support fee to the dental school to offset part of the educational costs of its resident. The student then has to pay resident's tuition at a public or reduced tuition at a private school. For more information, contact The Professional Student Exchange Program, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, PO Box 9752, Boulder, CO 80301–9752.

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)

Students who are residents of southern states (Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee) some of which do not have dental schools, are eligible to participate in SREB's Regional Contract Program. Each home state contributes a fixed fee, while the student pays the resident's tuition at a public school and receives a reduction in tuition at a private school. For more information contact: Ann H. Creech, Southern Regional Education Board, 592 Tenth Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30318–5790, Phone: (404) 875–9211.

United Student Aid Funds

This fund endorses loans up to $5,000 per year for a total of $15,000 for all guaranteed loan programs. Repayment begins ten months after leaving school, with interest not exceeding 7%. For additional information contact: USA Funds Endorsement Center, 1100 USA Parkway, Fishers, IN 46038.

Two restricted sources of financial aid are:

American Fund for Dental Health Minority Scholarship Program

This program provides recipients with scholarships of up to $2,000 per year for the first two years of dental school. One must be accepted by a dental school and be a member of an underrepresented minority (African-American, Native American, Mexican-American, or Puerto Rican) to apply. For information contact: American Fund for Dental Health, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Suite 1630, Chicago, IL 60611.

Dentistry Canada Fund

This program provides information concerning scholarships and loans. For information contact: Dentistry Canada Fund, 1815 Promenade Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1G 3Y6.

Financial aid on a state level is also available for some state residents. These sources are listed below by state:

Indiana

Student Loan Fund Program

Indiana Dental Association

PO Box 2467

Indianapolis, IN 46202–2467

Kansas

Loan Fund

Kansas State Dental Auxiliary

School of Dentistry

University of Missouri at Kansas City

Kansas City, MO 64108

Louisiana

Dental Student Loan Fund

Women's Auxiliary to the Louisiana Dental Association

10 Stilt Street

New Orleans, LA 70124

Minnesota

Student Loan Fund

Minnesota State Dental Association

2236 Marshall Avenue

St. Paul, MN 55104

Loan Funds

School of Dentistry

University of Minnesota

Washington Avenue and Union Street, S.E.

Minneapolis, MN 55455

New Mexico

Student Loan Fund

New Mexico Dental Association

2917 Santa Cruz Avenue, S.E.

Albuquerque, NM 87106

Virginia

Rural Scholarship/Loan

Virginia Commonwealth University

520 North 12th Street, Room 309

Richmond, VA 23298

West Virginia

Dental School General Loan Fund

School of Dentistry

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV 26506