Student debt

Addressing the burden of student debt faced by dental school graduates.

Advocating for new dentists facing significant educational debt

The ADA is working with lawmakers, education leaders, dental students and others to mitigate the alarming levels of educational debt that new dentists face after graduating from dental school. This includes reforming parts of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which provides the statutory authority for most federal student loan programs, including those most widely used by dental students.

View our current policies on educational debt.
Explore the myriad of state and federal programs to help pay down your student loans.
Access valuable tools and money-saving resources to help you achieve financial stability.
Learn about the ADA's exclusive student loan refinancing program.
Obtain tips and tricks that peers have used to manage their student debt.
Learn about the ADA Reduced Dues Program for recent dental school graduates.

Advocacy in action

In Congress

June 6, 2023Medical and Dental Political Action Committees/Organized Dentistry Coalition (MADPAC/ODC) letter in support of S. 704, the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act (PDF).

March 9, 2023Letter to the United States Senate in support of the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act (PDF).

March 9, 2023Letter to the United States House of Representatives in support of the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act (PDF).

December 19, 2022Letter to Representative Wilson regarding H.R. 8872, the Lowering Obstacles to Achievement Now (LOAN) Act (PDF).

November 15, 2022Coalition letter urging the House and Senate leadership to include key provisions of the PREVENT Pandemics Act, including the BIO Preparedness Workforce Pilot Program, in a final legislative package (PDF). The pilot program would provide loan repayment for dentists who specialize in emergency preparedness or infectious diseases and work in underserved areas or facilities that receive federal funding.

July 19, 2022Coalition letter from the Organized Dentistry Coalition (ODC) asking the House Committee on Education and Labor to advance student loan reform bills out of committee for consideration by the full House of Representatives (PDF). The letters also ask members of the House Committee on Education and Labor to cosponsor student loan reform bills.

July 11, 2022Letter urging the House Education and Labor Committee to advance several student loan reform bills out of committee (PDF).

February 28, 2022Letter expressing support for S. 3658, the Resident Education Deferred Interest Act (or REDI Act) (PDF), which would allow dental school graduates to defer payments and forgo interest on their federal student loans until after completing a medical or dental residency (PDF).

February 25, 2022Coalition letter expressing support for S. 3658, the Resident Education Deferred Interest Act (or REDI Act), which would allow dental school graduates to defer payments and forgo interest on their federal student loans until after completing a medical or dental residency (PDF).

February 22, 2022Letter to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in regards to its February 2022 hearing titled Recruiting, Revitalizing & Diversifying: Examining the Health Care Workforce Shortage (PDF).

October 22, 2021Coalition letter expressing support for H.R. 5602, the Bolstering Infectious Outbreaks (BIO) Preparedness Workforce Act of 2021, which would provide federal student loan repayment to those pursuing careers in bio-preparedness and infectious diseases (PDF).

September 28, 2021Coalition letter expressing support for supporting H.R. 4631, POST GRAD Act, which would reinstate eligibility for graduate and professional students with financial need to receive Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans (PDF).

August 17, 2021Letter expressing support for H.R. 4631, the Protecting Our Students by Terminating Graduate Rates that Add to Debt Act (POST GRAD Act), which would reinstate eligibility for graduate and professional students with financial need to receive Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans, which are now only available to undergraduate students (PDF).

July 30, 2021Coalition letter urging members of the House Ways and Means Committee to support H.R. 1285, the Dental Loan Repayment Assistance Act, would allow full-time faculty members participating in the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program to exclude the loan forgiveness benefit from their federal income taxes (PDF).

July 30, 2021Coalition letter urging members of the the Senate Finance Committee to support S. 449, the Dental Loan Repayment Assistance Act, would allow full-time faculty members participating in the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program to exclude the loan forgiveness benefit from their federal income taxes (PDF).

June 28, 2021Letter expressing support for H.R. 4122, the Resident Education Deferred Interest Act (or REDI Act), which would allow dental school graduates to defer payments and forgo interest on their federal student loans until after completing a medical or dental residency (PDF).

April 13, 2021Letter expressing support for H.R. 1918, the Student Loan Refinancing and Recalculation Act, which would provide a chance for federal student loan borrowers to refinance their loans, and for medical and dental residents to defer payments until after completing their residencies(PDF).

April 13, 2021Letter expressing support for H.R. 2160, the Student Loan Refinancing and Act, which would allow federal student loan borrowers to refinance their loans when economic conditions are more favorable (PDF).

Contact Us

Contacts
Government and Public Affairs Washington Office
202.898.2400
Email: govtpol@ada.org

State Government Affairs
312.440.2525
Email: govtpol@ada.org

American Dental Political Action Committee (ADPAC)
202.898.2424
Email: adpac@ada.org

Media Relations
Journalists may contact the media relations department at:

Media Relations
312.440.2806
Email: mediarelations@ada.org