The short answer
Kentucky has 2 loan repayment programs a dentist can apply to; none is open as of September 26, 2026. Healthcare Worker Loan Relief Program of the Commonwealth opens September 28. Federal programs (NHSC, IHS and the military) also work here.
Kentucky 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.
Kentucky State Loan Repayment Program (KSLRP)
Kentucky Office of Rural Health (University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health)
- Dentists
- Eligible · hygienists eligible too
- What it pays
- Dentists: $100,000 for two-year full-time contract ($25,000/yr KSLRP + $25,000/yr sponsor match); part-time $50,000 total. RDHs: $40,000 two-year full-time; part-time $20,000.
- Commitment
- Full-time (40 hrs/week) for two years or part-time (20-39 hrs/week) for three years, minimum 45 weeks/year; up to four extensions, six years total
- Where you can work
- Public or private non-profit entity in a federally designated HPSA (dental HPSA for dental); for-profit facilities ineligible; accept Medicare/Medicaid/CHIP, sliding fee scale; 1:1 sponsor match required
- Applying
- 2026 cycle: released July 1, 2026, due July 31, 2026; page says 'A new cycle will open in April 2027.'
- Taxes
- 'Participants receive tax-free student loan repayment' (no code section cited)
- Specialists
- 2026 guidelines list Dentist (DDS, DMD): 'General Dentistry, Geriatric Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry'; Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH).
Official sources: medicine.uky.edu (undated; references 2026 cycle and April), medicine.uky.edu (Program Guidelines and Instructions 2026). Checked Sep 26, 2026.
Healthcare Worker Loan Relief Program of the Commonwealth (HWLRPC)
University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health (funded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky)
- Dentists
- Eligible · hygienists eligible too
- What it pays
- Physicians, Dentists, Pharmacists: $100,000 for a two-year commitment; RDHs: $40,000 (tiered by provider type, debt, funding and sponsor commitment)
- Commitment
- 24-40 hours/week, up to 4160 hours over a two-to-three-year period; up to four extensions, six years total
- Where you can work
- Public or private non-profit entity in a HPSA corresponding to discipline (FQHCs, RHCs, health department clinics, etc.); no match required
- Applying
- Set application windows with biannual consideration (FAQ: 'rolling with bi-annual consideration'). Next window opens September 28, 2026; 'Deadline to apply is 5:00 PM EST, October 23, 2026.' Employment at an eligible site must begin by December 31, 2026.
- Taxes
- 'Participants receive tax-free student loan repayment' (no code section cited)
- Specialists
- Dental Care Clinicians: DDS/DMD, RDH; 'other specialties considered'.
Official sources: medicine.uky.edu (undated), medicine.uky.edu (undated), medicine.uky.edu (undated), medicine.uky.edu (undated), medicine.uky.edu (2026), medicine.uky.edu (2026), medicine.uky.edu (undated). Checked Sep 26, 2026.
Federal programs that also work in Kentucky
- 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.