Student Debt Resources

The Loans for Disadvantaged Students program provides long-term, low-interest rate loans to full-time, financially needy students from disadvantaged backgrounds, to pursue a degree in dentistry. Participating schools are responsible for selecting loan recipients, making reasonable determinations of need and providing loans which do not exceed the cost of attendance (tuition, reasonable educational expenses and reasonable living expenses).

Website: http://www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/loans/disadvantaged.html

Type of Funding: Federal

Term: Inquire with University of Missouri System (Scott Young)

Eligibility Requirements: 

• From a disadvantaged background as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: An individual from a disadvantaged background is defined as one who comes from an environment that has inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skill, and abilities required to enroll in and graduate from a health professions school, or from a program providing education or training in an allied health profession; or comes from a family with an annual income below a level based on low income thresholds according to family size published by the U.S. Bureau of Census, adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index, and adjusted by the Secretary, HHS, for use in health professions and nursing programs.
• A citizen, national, or a lawful permanent resident of the United States or the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico or the Marianas Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the American Samoa, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated State of Micronesia.

The Indian Health Service (IHS) Loan Repayment Program (LRP) supports the mission of IHS while providing dedicated dental professionals with the financial support to pursue an Indian health career. 

Website: https://www.ihs.gov/loanrepayment/

Type of Funding: Federal

Term: Ongoing​

Range of Funding: Up to $40,000 toward the repayment of qualified education loans.  

Obligation: In exchange for this support, IHS LRP participants agree to a two-year service commitment at an Indian health facility identified as a site in need of dental professionals.​

Eligibility Requirements:

• All health professionals are eligible to apply for an LRP award.
• However, American Indians and Alaska Natives receive priority consideration when all factors are equal between applicants (such as site score and staffing needs).

The Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). Qualifying students receive full tuition for any accredited dental program plus a generous monthly stipend of more than $2,000. Programs are available in the US Army, US Navy and US Air Force.

Type of Funding: Federal

Term: Ongoing​

Range of Funding: The HPSP will pay 100 percent of tuition, plus pay for required books, equipment and most academic fees. Qualifying dental students are eligible to receive a $20,000 sign-on bonus

Obligation: Your active duty service obligation to the branch of military is one year of service for every year you receive the scholarship. Your minimum obligation depends on your health care field. There is an additional obligation for residency and fellowship training.

Eligibility Requirements: 

• Be a U.S. citizen with a baccalaureate degree from an accredited school
• Be enrolled in (or have a letter or acceptance from) an accredited graduate program in the U.S. or Puerto Rico (varies by specialty)
• Maintain full-time student status during the length of the program
• Qualify as a commissioned officer

The Missouri Health Professional State Loan Repayment Program provides educational loan repayment to qualifying health professionals in exchange for practice in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) in Missouri. The SLRP currently receives $250,000 of federal funds and the state matches $250,000 with donated funds. 

• Informational Brochure
• For ​questions call (573) 751-6219 or (800) 891-7415

The Primary Care Resource Initiative for Missouri (PRIMO) is a multi-faceted approach to the health care delivery services for all Missourians. The PRIMO Student Loan Program is a competitive State program that awards forgivable loans to students pursuing health care training leading to Missouri licensure. The four components of PRIMO are: 1) Student Loans; 2) Recruitment/Placement; 3) Health Professional Loan Repayment; 4) Health Care Delivery Systems.

Website: http://health.mo.gov/living/families/primarycare/primo/ 

Type of Funding: State

Range of Funding: Amount of funding provided depends upon the student’s chosen discipline and educational status. Repayment of loans can be completed either through cash repayment at 9.5% simple interest or through obtaining qualifying employment to earn forgiveness. 

Obligation: Forgiveness is based upon the number of loans received. Example: one loan equates to one year of service; two loans equates to two years of service, etc based on full-time qualifying employment. Qualifying employment is capped at 5 years even in the event a PRIMO participant receives more than 5 loans. Qualifying employment is considered as full-time, direct patient care at a facility located in an area of need which is also referred to as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). The licensed PRIMO participant must accept Medicaid/MC+ and work at an employment site which operates on a sliding fee scale basis. Professional health services must be provided to the general population.

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) offers tax-free loan repayment assistance to support qualified health care providers who choose to take their skills where they’re most needed.

Website: http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/loanrepaymentprogram.html

Type of Funding: Federal

Term: Ongoing

Range of Funding: The NHSC LRP offers an initial award of up to $50,000 for two years of full-time service when you select a service site with a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) score of 14 or higher or up to $30,000 for sites with a score of 13 and below. Half-time service options also are available. NHSC Loan Repayment Program (LRP) participants also earn competitive salaries from their site and other benefits in addition to loan repayment. 

The payment is free from Federal income tax and is made at the beginning of service so you can more quickly pay down your loans. Approved sites are located across the U.S., in both urban and rural areas. After completing your initial service commitment, you can apply to extend your service and receive additional loan repayment assistance. The amount you receive and length of your commitment depends on where you serve (service at sites in higher need areas yields greater loan repayments). It also depends on whether you select the full-time or half-time option. 

Obligation: Two-year commitment at an NHSC-approved site.

Eligibility Requirements: 

• Be a U.S. citizen (either U.S. born or naturalized) or U.S. National;
• Be eligible for, or hold, an appointment as a commissioned officer in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service or be eligible for selection for civilian service in the NHSC;
• Participate or be eligible to participate as a provider in the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Programs, as appropriate;
• Have a current, full, permanent, unencumbered, unrestricted health professional license, certificate or registration in the discipline in which he/she is applying to serve.

Are you a medical or dental student in your final year of school? The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP) provides up to $120,000 to medical (MD and DO) or dental (DDS or DMD) students in their final year of school in return for a commitment to provide primary health care full time for at least 3 years at an approved NHSC site in a Health Professional Shortage Area of greatest need.

Website: http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/studentstoserviceprogram/index.html

Type of Funding: Federal

Qualifying and Non-Qualifying Educational Loans: A NHSC S2S LRP participant will receive loan repayment funding to be applied to the principal, interest, and related expenses of outstanding Government (Federal, State, or local) and commercial loans for undergraduate or graduate education obtained by the participant for school tuition, other reasonable educational expenses, and reasonable living expenses. The educational loans must be obtained prior to the date the participant submits his/her online application to the NHSC S2S LRP.

Th  Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students program provides funds to schools. In turn, the schools make scholarships to full-time, financially needy students from disadvantaged backgrounds, enrolled in health professions. Participating schools are responsible for selecting scholarship recipients, making reasonable determinations of need, and providing scholarships that do not exceed the cost of attendance (tuition, reasonable educational expenses and reasonable living expenses).

Website: http://www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/scholarships/disadvantaged.html

Type of Funding: Federal

Term: Inquire with University of Missouri System (Scott Young)

Eligibility Requirements: 

From a disadvantaged background as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: An individual from a disadvantaged background is defined as one who comes from an environment that has inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skill, and abilities required to enroll in and graduate from a health professions school, or from a program providing education or training in an allied health profession; or comes from a family with an annual income below a level based on low income thresholds according to family size published by the U.S. Bureau of Census, adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index, and adjusted by the Secretary, HHS, for use in health professions and nursing programs.

• A citizen, national, or a lawful permanent resident of the United States or the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico or the Marianas Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the American Samoa, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated State of Micronesia.

You can apply to the NHSC Scholarship Program if you are committed to primary care and accepted to or enrolled in an accredited U.S. dental school.

Website: http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/scholarships/index.html

Type of Funding: Federal

Term: The Scholarship Program accepts applications once each year. Applicants chosen to receive the scholarship are notified no later than September 30. 

Range of Funding: The scholarship pays tuition, fees, other educational costs and provides a living stipend. Scholarship payments other than the living stipend are federal income tax-free. The NHSC helps scholars find a practice site that's right for them. When in service, scholars earn a market-rate salary, paid by the employing facility. 

Obligation: In return for a commitment to work at least 2 years at an NHSC-approved site in a medically underserved community. For each year of financial support (up to four years), the student agrees to serve one year (minimum two years) at an NHSC-approved site in a high-need urban, rural or frontier community across the nation. Service begins upon graduation (and completion of primary care residency training for doctors and dentists).

Eligibility Requirements:

• Be a U.S. Citizen (either U.S. born or naturalized) or U.S. National.
• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a full-time student. 
• Be attending or accepted to attend school of dentistry accredited by the American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation located in a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory.
• Be eligible for federal employment. 
• Not have an existing service obligation.
• Submit a complete application.

The ADAF Dental Student Scholarship Program recognizes dental students who are strong academically and demonstrate outstanding promise in leadership, public service and/or research. Each scholarship is valued at $20,000. Like the ADA Foundation’s Facebook page for important updates about grant, scholarship and award application periods; the ADA Foundation Volpe Research Center; international oral health programs and Give Kids A Smile.