Minnesota Rural Dental Therapist/Advanced Dental Therapist Loan Forgiveness Guidelines
Current cycle: The Minnesota Health Care Loan Forgiveness program cycle is OPEN November 1, 2021. Download the Loan Forgiveness PIN
This program is offered to final year dental therapist/advanced dental therapist (DT/ADT) students, or licensed DT’s/ADT’s who plan to practice/are practicing in a designated rural area. A prospective participant must submit an application to ORHPC during the open application cycle, as a practicing DT/ADT or while completing their final year of training/certification.
The Dental Therapist Loan Forgiveness Program provides funds for repayment of Qualified Educational Loans. Qualified Educational Loans include government, commercial, and foundation loans for actual costs paid for tuition, reasonable education and living expenses related to the past graduate or undergraduate education of the DT/ADT. Credit card debt or loans from family members do not qualify. Parent PLUS loans do not qualify.
Loans in current or active default are NOT eligible for forgiveness in this program, even if considered in good standing with the collections agency. Previously defaulted loans that have since been completely rehabilitated and are not currently in active default status are eligible.
Participants are required to practice for at least 30 hours per week, for at least 45 weeks per year, for a minimum of three years in a designated rural area. A designated rural area is defined by Minnesota statute 144.1501 as a statutory and home rule charter city or township that is (1) outside the seven–county metropolitan area, as defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2 excluding the cities of Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester and St. Cloud.
For practicing DTs/ADTs, participants must begin their service obligation immediately. For final year students, participants must begin their service obligation under this program no later than March 31 following completion of their dental program. Participants must complete their dental program as originally stated in their application.
Participants are eligible to participate for up to four years in the program during which they serve in a designated rural area. ORHPC will make an annual payment to the participant in the amount of up to $13,000, not to exceed $52,000 total for the maximum four–year period or the balance of the designated loan(s), whichever is less subject to the availability of funds appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature for the loan forgiveness program.