The American Student Dental Association encourages the administrations of all U.S. CODA-accredited dental schools to develop, utilize and distribute an estimated costs increase statement for incoming and existing students. In the event that an unresolved dispute over tuition arises involving a dental school and its students, the association will request the school to substantiate the tuition increase.

All U.S. CODA-accredited dental schools should annually review and update its estimated cost of attendance to ensure it accurately reflects actual cost of attendance in a timely manner to optimize students’ ability to secure appropriate funding. This figure should include cost of living expenses, all mandatory clinical equipment, and required program fees

The association urges dental schools to provide timely, comprehensive, and accessible financial aid counseling to dental students that can be tailored to individual needs to make an informed decision.

The association urges student loan service providers and federal state governments to minimize disruptions to processing student loan payments and forgiveness for qualifying borrowers. ASDA believes borrowers should have access to accurate information about loans, including repayment options and interest rates, to make an informed decision.

The American Student Dental Association endorses continued federal support for new and existing health education assistance programs, and the reinstatement or renewal of discontinued programs.

The American Student Dental Association supports initiatives to reduce the burden of debt for dental students. The association urges Congress, state legislatures and state dental associations to pass measures that include, but are not limited to:

1. Reducing student loan interest rates;
2. Providing refinancing opportunities to borrowers;
3. Providing opportunities for loan forgiveness, scholarships, grants and tax deductibility.