Dental Assistant Scholarships Finding the right financing for your dental assistant training is a key step on the road to starting your new career. If you're willing to do a little legwork—or perhaps more accurately, paperwork—you can find plenty of great funding sources. While loans are the mainstay of student financial aid packages, grants and scholarships are the Holy Grail of financing options, since you won't have to pay them back. What you may not know is that you don't have to have a spotless academic record or be a star athlete to qualify for scholarships. There are several organizations that offer dental assistant scholarships, specifically intended for students entering this field of study. The list below highlights some of these organizations and can help you start your search for dental assistant scholarships.  The American Dental Association (ADA) The ADA awards scholarships to dental assisting students annually. The ADA offers several different scholarship programs, including dental assistant scholarship options specifically for minority students. Eligibility requirements vary. The National Dental Association Foundation (NDAF)
Colgate-Palmolive Scholarship The National Dental Association Foundation's Colgate-Palmolive Scholarship was established in 1990 in order to offer financial aid to underrepresented minority students across the country. The American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) Members of the ADAA, a national organization providing support and resources for dental assistants, may qualify for a variety of scholarship opportunities. The Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) The HDA is an excellent resource for members of the Hispanic community who wish to work in the dental profession. They offer scholarships and financial aid to qualified individuals. Dental Assistant School Financial Aid Dental assistant schools generally offer financial aid to qualified individuals. Each school has their own set of requirements for determining who qualifies, so contact dental assistant schools that interest you to find out what you'll need to apply. If you would like to receive financial aid, get advice as early as possible. During the application process, it's a good idea to consult with the school's office of financial aid. They will be able to guide you through the process. Federal Financial Aid for Dental Assisting Students Federal Student Aid programs are the largest source of college financial assistance. These programs provide billions of dollars to students each year through grants, work study, and loans. Below are some of the federal financial aid programs available: - Pell grants
- Stafford loans, available either through the Direct Loan (DL) program or the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program
- PLUS loans for parents (also available through the DL or FFEL programs)
- Consolidation loans (DL or FFEL)
- Federal Work Study (FWS)
- Perkins loans
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
Learn More About Dental Assistant Scholarships and Loans To learn more about your financial aid options, visit our Financial Aid Resource Center. You'll find several articles to help you fully understand all of your financing options.  |
