For pre-dental and dental students
Paying for dental school
Grad PLUS closed to new borrowers on July 1, 2026. New dental students can borrow at most $50,000 a year and $200,000 in total in federal loans. These pages cover how to cover the rest.
- How to pay for dental school after Grad PLUSFederal loans now stop at $50,000 a year for new dental students. Here's the size of the gap and the order to fill it: aid, federal, then private.Read →
- Federal loan limits for dental students (2026–27)New dental students can borrow $50,000 a year and $200,000 in total in federal loans. Old vs new limits, who's grandfathered, rates and fees.Read →
- Private student loans for dental school, comparedWhat to compare on a private dental school loan: fixed vs variable, cosigner, deferment in school and residency, and what you give up vs federal loans.Read →
- Dental school debt: the real numbers (class of 2025)Class of 2025 borrowers averaged $297,800 in debt. What that costs in interest each month at 8.07%, and how it shapes refinance vs forgiveness.Read →
- Grandfathered into Grad PLUS? What current students keepIf you were enrolled by June 30, 2026 and had a Direct Loan for your dental program, you keep Grad PLUS for up to three years. What qualifies and what ends it.Read →
- CalculatorYour funding gapWhat federal loans cover under the new caps, and what you’d need to borrow privately.Run your numbers →