Attending school to become an orthodontist can be very expensive. You’ll first need to obtain a dental school doctorate in dentistry, then complete an orthodontic residency. After first getting your undergraduate degree, obtaining this education can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The good news is there are scholarships for orthodontists that may be able to help you cover some of these expenses. Read on to learn about dental school scholarships and how to find financial assistance that can make paying for your degree easier.
Examples of Scholarships for Orthodontists
Many different dental school scholarships exist. Here are a few programs that could provide you with free money towards earning your degree that you will not have to pay back.
CAMS Scholarship Program
The Chinese American Medical Society provides scholarships worth up to $5,000 for CAMS student members. You may be eligible to receive funding if you are a first, second, or third-year dental student who is in good standing at an accredited dental school in the United States.
You can find the scholarship application as well as the requirements online. You must include your CV, two letters of recommendation, and a letter from the dean of your school indicating that you are in good standing.
The Dental Trade Alliance
The Robert J. Sullivan Family Foundation provided the DTA Foundation with a Legacy Endowment gift that provides sufficient earnings for the Alliance to offer a $25,000 scholarship annually. The first was awarded in 2020.
The scholarship’s purpose is to support dental students who demonstrate financial need, excellence in the dentistry profession, and a focus on community service. In addition to the $25,000 annual scholarship, three other applications will receive a $10,000 scholarship and up to 10 will get a $5,000 scholarship.
This scholarship is open to dental students enrolled in an accredited U.S. dental school who are entering their third or fourth year and who demonstrate good academic standing. They must also show financial need, be nominated by their dental school dean or dean’s designate, and must show a strong commitment to community service and charitable work as evidenced based on their past history.
Students interested in these dental school scholarships can find the Scholarship Application Form online.
The Hispanic Dental Association Foundation
Members of the Hispanic Dental Foundation could potentially obtain scholarships. There are many offerings available, including scholarships worth up to $5,000 for those seeking to enhance their scientific and applied clinical knowledge in a dental residency program and scholarships worth $4,000 for dental students in their first, second, third, or fourth years.
Potentially eligible candidates can see a full description of the different scholarship categories available and learn about application requirements on the Hispanic Dental Foundation website.
How to Find Orthodontics Scholarships
The good news is the examples above are just the tip of the iceberg regarding free school money. Fortunately, there are many scholarships for dental students available, including some dedicated scholarships for orthodontists as well as others open to anyone who wishes to work within the dental industry.
The American Student Dental Association is a great resource for finding dental scholarships. You can check out the complete list of scholarship options on their resources website to see if any programs work for you.
You can also check with local professional organizations, see if your state offers any help by visiting your local Department of Education website, and reach out to your school’s financial aid office, as your school may know of scholarship opportunities offered internally.
It’s best to begin looking for scholarships early on when you decide to attend dental school, as it can take time to apply to different programs and many have application deadlines that you won’t want to miss.
What Happens if Dental School Scholarships Don’t Cover All Your Costs?
In many cases, orthodontics scholarships will cover only a portion of the costs you incur in earning your degree — even if you are lucky enough to get several dental school scholarships to help you pay your way.
The good news is there are other options out there when dental scholarships don’t pay for all of your educational expenses. This includes both federal student loans and private student loans. Federal loans have affordable fixed interest rates and come with many benefits, including income-driven payment plans while private student loans are available from a variety of lenders, and you can shop around to try to get the best rates.
Once you have exhausted all of the scholarships for orthodontists available to you, be sure to look into these loan options so you can make an informed choice about exactly how to pay for the credentials you need to work in your chosen profession.
