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Student Snapshot: Pennsylvania dental student discusses the cost of debt
Every year after I complete my FAFSA form, I get an email from my loan servicer. “Your Student Loan Snapshot!” the subject reads, as if it were an actual snapshot from a wonderfully, nostalgic moment in my life. The responsible, rational part of my brain tells me to open the email and acknowledge my student loan debt. After all, I should be mindful of what I am spending each day. The stressed, burdened student inside of me recognizes the email, moves on to the next, and checks upcoming lectures or clinical assignments. The tasks that necessitate immediate action are much less daunting. I decided to open the loan servicer email a solid week after receiving it. My current balance is $186,337.25. I’m not even half way through dental school.
While these emails are necessary to keep students informed of their borrowing and financial standing, servicers really do not need to send them. Students like me feel the weight of their loans every day. According to a 2014 survey by the American Dental Education Association, the average amount of debt accrued after four years of dental school is $247,227. I will graduate with a healthy amount more than that. The staggering, ever-increasing cost of dental school is worsened by the fact that graduate students are not eligible for subsidized government loans. This means that when I’m in class, or working with patients, interest is accruing on all of my graduate loans. There’s nothing I can do about it – not even refinance.
This issue of accumulating interest has gained
recognition in Congress. I recently attended
the National Dental Student Lobby Day in
Washington D.C. Nearly 400 dental students
united to lobby for loan reform. One of the bills
I hope to see gain sponsorship is H.R. 4223, the POST GRAD Act. POST GRAD stands for “Protecting Our Students by Terminating Graduate Rates that Add to Debt.” Under this act, dental students wouldn’t need to pay interest on their graduate loans while in school. I think removing the burden of added interest is a great start to solving the student loan debt crisis in our country.
The burden of student debt is so great it is impacting where and how recent graduates practice dentistry. Upon graduating, I will base my decisions on where to practice solely on compensation. This is a very troubling thought for a student like me who is passionate about the clinical aspects of dentistry. Instead of providing care to an underserved patient population, I will have to choose the practice that pays me the most. It will be the only way to make my loan payments on time. For some of my peers, looming debt will force them to resist pursuing graduate specialty programs. Instead, they will join me in trying to find a job that pays well and as soon as possible. It is clear the changes I lobbied for in Washington D.C. will not impact me, but I am hopeful it will positively impact future students.
- Kelly
Temple University
Who We Are
The Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA), comprised of over 5,500 actively practicing and retired dentists, is proud of its efforts to improve the oral health of Pennsylvanians. Our goals are to promote optimal dental care for the public, improve the availability of dental care for all citizens, speak on behalf of the public’s dental health interests before government entities and educate the public about preventing oral disease and promoting good oral health. This edition of the Oral Health Update is about the success and importance of the Donated Dental Services (DDS) program in Pennsylvania. This edition of the Oral Health Update is about HB 1259, which addresses crippling student debt while improving access to dental care in Pennsylvania.
Contact Us
PDA prides itself on being Pennsylvania’s premier dental organization and the leading authority on all dental issues. Please contact our government relations staff at [email protected], or (717) 234-5941, for more information about our advocacy goals.
You can also contact PDA’s government relations consultants, Mark Singel and Peg Callahan of The Winter Group, at (717) 909-9561. Visit www.padental.org to find out more about us and the services our members provide to your constituents! Find us on Twitter @padentalassn and on Facebook www.facebook.com/padentalassn.