Paying for Dental School

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While pursuing dentistry can be a fulfilling career, it also comes with a significant financial investment. From tuition and fees to living expenses, the cost of dental school can feel overwhelming. As a member of the American Student Dental Association, you have access to educational opportunities and resources to help you successfully pay for dental school.

Government Loans

Scholarships

Private Loans

Save with ASDA

Student Loan Repayment

New Borrowing Caps

As of July 1, 2026, dental students have an annual borrowing cap of $50,000 for federal student loans. This means that more dental students will have to rely on other means to bridge their funding gaps. ASDA's webpages and resources help identify ways that you can responsibly close your funding gap through scholarships, grants, repayment programs, student loans and ASDA member savings.

Find Your Funding Gap

paying-for-dental-school-image-3 The cost of dental school can vary depending on a student’s in- or out-of-state status, whether the institution is public or private or even geographic location. Schools calculate the cost of attendance (COA) to estimate a more comprehensive cost than what is included with tuition.

COAs take into consideration expected costs of tuition, books, required fees and supplies, housing and other living expenses. Your funding gap is the difference between what you’ve paid for dental school (including scholarships, grants and loans) and what you owe and will need to pay in future years.

Dental students can bridge this funding gap through:

Personal savings
Scholarships or grants
Government loans
Institutional loans
Private student and personal loans
Other loans such as Health Professions Student Loans
Discounts through an ASDA membership

And more.

Additional Resources

Always consult with your school’s financial aid office before making long-term borrowing decisions.

Student Loan FAQs

Federal Borrowing Limits

What are the new borrowing caps as of July 1, 2026?

Borrowers starting a new program with loans dispersing after July 1, 2026, will be subject to the new borrowing caps:

$50,000 per year for dental school
$200,000 for dental school, minus any loans taken out for a prior graduate program
$257,500 for all federal loans taken out across all programs (undergraduate, graduate, dental, residency, etc.)

Who qualifies as a legacy borrower?

Students who are enrolled in a program and have had their loans dispersed by July 1, 2026, are exempt and may still borrow up to the cost of attendance using Grad PLUS loans for three years or until the end of their program, whichever comes first.

If a D1 student qualifies as a legacy borrower, they will only have access to Grad PLUS loans for their first three years of dental school.

Borrowers starting a new residency program after July 1, 2026, will be subject to the new caps. If they have already borrowed more than $257,500 in federal student loans from undergraduate, graduate and dental degree programs, they would not qualify to borrow any additional funds from the federal government.

Do I qualify as a legacy borrower if I stay at the same institution for dental school and residency?

No. The legacy borrower exemption is only for the duration of your current degree program, (i.e., DMD or DDS) or three years, whichever is sooner. Therefore, starting a new academic program like residency would make you subject to the new caps.

What’s the difference between federal and private loans?

Federal student loans do not require a co-signer and qualify for government forgiveness programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Students who do not qualify as legacy borrowers may only borrow up to $200,000 in federal student loans for dental school.

Private loan terms and conditions, including interest rates, loan terms and repayment options, vary by lender. Students may consider government loans, private loans or both according to their current financial situation and long-term goals. Always consult with your school’s financial aid office before making any long-term borrowing decisions.

How do I determine what I may need to borrow to pay for dental school?

COA – Aid = Funding Gap

The amount you still need to pay for dental school, also called a funding gap, relies on two things: your cost of attendance (COA) and aid received. Each school must publish its cost of attendance, which estimates the true cost of its programs, including expenses like required fees or rent. Subtract any aid you’ve received from the government, scholarships and personal savings you will use during dental school. This gives you your funding gap, which is the amount you still need to pay.

You can bridge your funding gap through scholarships or grants, borrowing private loans, saving with your ASDA benefits and more. This webpage is a helpful resource to explore ways to bridge your funding gap.

Can Parent PLUS loans be used to pay for dental school?

Parent PLUS loans may only be used for undergraduate programs.

Understanding Private Loans

What are the differences between a private student loan, personal loans and a line of credit?

While student loans are disbursed all at once and typically at the beginning of a semester, Student and personal loans are disbursed all at once. Student loans may be limited to expenses included on a tuition statement while personal loans may be used for broader purposes such as housing or other personal expenses incurred throughout the semester.

Some private lenders offer a line of credit to students. Lines of credit allow students to borrow as needed and repay the exact amount that they need.

What are fixed vs. variable interest rates?

Fixed rates stay the same throughout the life of a loan. Variable rates can fluctuate up or down according to market trends.

Do private loans offer repayment options like government income-driven repayment plans?

Income-driven repayment plans like RAP or IBR are exclusively for federal student loans. Private lenders usually do not calculate monthly payments based on income. Check with your lender to understand all repayment options available to you.

When do I need a co-signer?

Some private lenders may require you to have a co-signer if you don’t meet credit requirements. Private lenders may also give borrowers the option of adding a co-signer to secure better rates or terms.

Repaying My Loans

What repayment plans will I have access to for federal student loans?

Federal Direct Loans or Grad PLUS Loans taken out prior to July 1, 2026, can be repaid using the following programs until 2028:

Standard, Graduate, or Extended Repayment
Income-Based Repayment (IBR)
Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR)
Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Repayment
Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)

Federal Direct Loans or Grad PLUS Loans taken out after to July 1, 2026, can be repaid using the following programs:

Tiered Standard Repayment Plan
Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)

Visit ASDA’s Loan Repayment page for more information.

How are monthly payments calculated under the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)?

Payments are calculated based on your reported adjusted gross income (AGI) from the previous year, with a minimum $10 payment per month. RAP monthly payments are capped at 10% of your AGI.

Read more about how to calculate your monthly payment under RAP here.

When do I start repaying my loans? What if I am pursuing a residency?

Payments on federal student loans begin six months after graduation. There is no deferment period for federal loans during a residency program.

Payment start dates and options for deferment for private loans vary among lenders. Some lenders may require payments throughout dental school, so be sure you fully understand your loan’s terms and conditions before making a decision.

What happens if I miss a payment?

Being delinquent on your student loans can have severe consequences for your credit. Delinquency can be reported to major credit bureaus as soon as 90 days of missed payments. This can impact your ability to qualify for credit cards or loans in the future. After 270 days of missed payments for federal student loans, your loan can default. Private loans may default in as soon as 90 days. Defaulting on a student loan can result in wage garnishment, substantial fees and a big hit to your credit.

Some loan forgiveness programs, such as PSLF, require ten years of consecutive on-time payments. Missing even one payment can create challenges for receiving forgiveness.

Can I make advance payments on federal loans?

Yes. If you make a payment above the required amount to cover interest that month, any additional amount you pay is usually applied to your loan principal. Making payments on your principal amount can help you pay off your loan faster and reduce the overall amount of interest you pay on your loan.

Certain loan forgiveness programs, such as PSLF or RAP, grant qualifying borrowers forgiveness after a certain period of making on-time payments. PSLF requires ten years of qualifying payments while RAP grants forgiveness after 30 years. Making advance payments or paying more than your monthly bill may not be advantageous if forgiveness is your ultimate goal.

When does interest begin accruing on student loans?

Interest on Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans begins accruing as soon as the loan is dispersed. This may vary from the terms of your private lender. Check with your lender to better understand the terms and conditions of your loan.

What happens to unpaid interest on my student loans?

Also referred to as compounding interest, unpaid interest is added to the loan’s principal balance.

The new RAP has an interest subsidy benefit for enrolled borrowers. If a borrower’s required payment amount is not enough to cover the interest accrued that month, the federal government waives the excess interest.

Can you refinance private and federal loans?

Partner companies recommend treating private and federal loans as two separate decisions. Refinancing private loans can make sense if it lowers your interest rate, changes your repayment term or improves monthly cash flow. Federal student loans can only be refinanced using private loans, meaning that refinancing could result in a loss of eligibility for income-driven repayment plans, PSLF and other programs.

Federal loans may come with protections and programs (like income-driven repayment and PSLF eligibility) that you typically give up if you refinance federal loans into a private loan.

Should I refinance my student loans?

Some reasons you may consider refinancing student loans include:

Getting a better interest rate,
Having a different payment timeline that better aligns with your financial goals or
Simplifying payments by combining multiple loans into a single new loan.

As mentioned above, refinancing federal student loans will result in a loss of eligibility for income-driven repayment plans, PSLF and other programs.

What programs can forgive my student debt?

For federal student loans, RAP and the Income-Based Repayment Plan (for those who qualify) offer forgiveness after 30 and 20 years, respectively. If you are employed for a qualifying government or nonprofit organization, you may qualify for PSLF, which offers forgiveness after ten years of qualifying payments. The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) also offers loan repayment forgiveness for dentists who work at least two years at an approved NHSC site. Some states may offer other student debt forgiveness programs.

Learn more about student debt forgiveness programs here.

Other

What can I do now to set myself up for success financially?

Budgeting skills, understanding your credit score and investigating your options for bridging your funding gap are all great starting points to set yourself up for success financially. ASDA’s resources outline important information for navigating student loans.