The short answer
Georgia has 3 loan repayment programs a dentist can apply to, and all are open as of September 26, 2026. Federal programs (NHSC, IHS and the military) also work here.
Apply now: Georgia State Office of Rural Health State Loan Repayment Program, Dentists for Rural Areas Assistance Program and Georgia Dentist Education Loan Repayment Program
- Georgia State Office of Rural Health State Loan Repayment Program: 'The 2026 State Loan Repayment Program application cycle opens August 1, 2026.' (no close date stated)
- Dentists for Rural Areas Assistance Program: FY2027 cycle: September 1 - October 12, 2026, 5:00 PM ET
- Georgia Dentist Education Loan Repayment Program: FY2027 cycle: September 1 - October 12, 2026, 5:00 PM ET
Georgia programs for dentists
Each program below is described from its official page. Terms change every cycle, so confirm the numbers and deadline there before you apply.
Georgia State Office of Rural Health State Loan Repayment Program (GA SORH SLRP)
Georgia Department of Community Health, State Office of Rural Health - Primary Care Office
- Dentists
- Eligible · hygienists eligible too
- What it pays
- 'up to $50,000 a year in federal funds to a participant working full-time and $25,000 a year in federal funds to a participant working part-time.'
- Commitment
- Full-time (min 40 hrs/week, 45 weeks/yr) or half-time (20-39 hrs/week, 45 weeks/yr); contract length not stated in guidance.
- Where you can work
- Public and non-profit private entities in a federally designated HPSA (MUA/state shortage areas do not qualify); for-profit facilities only if operated by a non-profit organization. Guidance lists FQHCs, look-alikes, RHCs, health dept clinics, free clinics, school-based, correctional and 'Private Practices (Solo or Group)' as site types, but every site must meet the public/non-profit criterion, so an ordinary for-profit private practice does not qualify. Must accept Medicare/Medicaid/CHIP and use a sliding fee scale.
- Applying
- 'The 2026 State Loan Repayment Program application cycle opens August 1, 2026.' (no close date stated)
- Specialists
- Guidance lists 'Dentist (General and Pediatric)' and 'Registered Dental Hygienist'.
Official sources: dch.georgia.gov (undated (references 2026 cycle opening A), dch.georgia.gov (undated). Checked Sep 26, 2026.
Dentists for Rural Areas Assistance Program (DRAA)
Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce (GBHCW)
- Dentists
- Eligible
- What it pays
- 'A service-cancelable loan of up to $25,000 per year to licensed dentists'; maximum four years
- Commitment
- One-year contracts, reapply annually, maximum four years; full-time = min 40 hrs/week (32 direct patient contact).
- Where you can work
- Direct patient care in medically underserved, rural Georgia county with population of 50,000 or less (per eligibility map); must hold Georgia Medicaid provider number and actively treat Medicaid patients.
- Applying
- FY2027 cycle: September 1 - October 12, 2026, 5:00 PM ET
Official sources: healthcareworkforce.georgia.gov (undated (FY2027 cycle Sept 1 - Oct 12, 2), healthcareworkforce.georgia.gov (2025 flyer (cycle Sept 1 - Nov 3, 2025)). Checked Sep 26, 2026.
Georgia Dentist Education Loan Repayment Program (GDELRP)
Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce (GBHCW)
- Dentists
- Eligible
- What it pays
- 'A service-cancelable loan of up to $150,000 to licensed dentists or fourth-year dental students over four years'
- Commitment
- Four-year term (48-month commitment) full-time (min 40 hrs/week, 32 direct patient contact).
- Where you can work
- Direct patient care in medically underserved, rural Georgia county with population of 50,000 or less (per eligibility map).
- Applying
- FY2027 cycle: September 1 - October 12, 2026, 5:00 PM ET
Official sources: healthcareworkforce.georgia.gov (undated (FY2027 cycle Sept 1 - Oct 12, 2), healthcareworkforce.georgia.gov (2025 flyer (cycle Sept 1 - Nov 3, 2025)). Checked Sep 26, 2026.
Three dentist-eligible programs; GBHCW programs currently open (closes Oct 12, 2026). GBHCW FAQ does not address taxes.
Federal programs that also work in Georgia
- NHSC Loan Repayment Program: up to $50,000 for two years full time at an approved site, tax-free. Funded only through Dec. 31, 2026 under current law.
- Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program: up to $50,000 for two years at IHS, tribal and urban Indian sites.
- Military scholarships and loan repayment.
How these fit with your other loan choices
- PSLF: if the site is a nonprofit or government employer, the same years can count toward PSLF. If you’re sure to reach PSLF, a repayment award mostly shrinks what PSLF would have forgiven.
- RAP: award payments lower your balance, not your RAP payment, which is based on income. Estimate your RAP payment.
- Refinancing: most programs repay federal and private qualifying education loans; check whether yours counts before you refinance.
What to do next
- Check whether your job, or the one you’re considering, is at an eligible site (most programs require a shortage area, and many require a nonprofit or public employer).
- Read the official page for each program above and note the next deadline.
- Compare the award with what staying on RAP or PSLF, or refinancing, would cost you: run your numbers.
Program details come from each program’s official page, checked September 26, 2026. We don’t earn anything from loan repayment programs. General education, not advice. Found an error? Tell us.