What is a gap year? A “gap year” is a span of time between the end of undergraduate education and the beginning of dental school. It can be longer than a year, depending on your circumstances.

When taking a gap year, there are important steps every student should consider or take if they anticipate needing financial aid for dental school, dental hygiene programs or any other graduate degree program following their gap year. 

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As you consider ways to pay for dental school, there are some important questions you should ask that will help ensure you don’t miss anything in terms of getting access to the best financial aid possible. This includes knowing how to borrow responsibly if you have to take out student loans and having access to resources to help prepare you for repaying your loans responsibly after you graduate.

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Did you know the interest rate on federal direct loans is now 0%? That’s right, and that’s only one of several ways the U.S. government is helping student loan borrowers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul Garrard, national student loan expert and ADEA Senior Advisor for Student Financial Services, provides updates and a quick breakdown of what options are currently available for student borrowers.

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You may have heard that some borrowers who have careers in the nonprofit sector after graduation can retire their student loan debt through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program after meeting certain eligibility requirements. This program is designed to encourage borrowers of any discipline and degree program (including dentistry) to enter and remain in the nonprofit sector for at least 10 years, with the promise to forgive any remaining federal student loan debt at that time completely tax-free—meaning the forgiveness amount is not considered taxable income. PSLF may be of great interest to health professions students interested in the nonprofit sector, such as the government and nonprofit community-based health clinics. It also applies to dental school graduates who enter academic dentistry after they graduate. ... See More

One of the main questions students enrolled in any degree program have about financial aid, especially student loans, is whether there will be any changes to the programs and if those will impact them—either during school or later when they ... See More

Are you considering a career in academic dentistry, but have concerns that your student loan debt is too high and an academic dentistry salary may not be high enough to meet your career and repayment objectives? Public Service Loan Forgiveness may be the right choice. Paul Garrard, M.B.A., ADEA Consultant and Senior Advisor for Student Financial Services, has two important things for you to remember that may help.
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As dental students, we are often reminded to keep track of our loans and to carefully budget our expenses. However, understanding credit is equally important for a financially healthy future.  Do you know what your credit score is? Do you ... See More

Health professions advisors: make sure you are prepared to answer all the financial aid questions your predental students ask. ... See More

The cost of applying to dental school includes more than just the application and DAT fees. When applying, it’s important to consider the initial costs as well as the traveling expenses you will incur if you are invited for an interview. ... See More

Paul Garrard, M.B.A., gives an overview of the difference between federal and private loans, and explains recent updates to federal loans. ... See More