How to Choose the Best Dental School Scholarships

Dentistry is a key area in the healthcare sector. Many places in the United States today, urban and rural, need professional dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants. 

Working in the dentistry field can be a very lucrative venture for you. The average salary of a dentist in the United States in 2020 stood at $164,000, as per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dental hygienists and assistants, on the other hand, earned an average salary of $77,000 and $41,000, respectively. 

However, those hefty salaries come with an equally hefty price. Studying medical school can cost between $40,000 to over $65,000 for a single year, with some going as high as $100,000. 

The good news is students can shield themselves from having to fork out such high amounts of money in tuition fees by applying to dental school scholarships. But applying for a scholarship can be just as tiring as applying for dentistry school. 

To help you out, here’s a list of tips you should consider to choose the best dental school scholarship for you. 

1. Begin Your Search Early in Advance

There’s no need for you to wait until you’re in junior year to start looking for ideal dental school scholarships. Starting early will give you a head start in that you’ll have more time to find out which scholarships are worth your time and effort. 

Once you have shortlisted the best options, you’ll have enough time to fill out the applications without rushing. Bear in mind that many scholarships work with limited budgets, so the earlier you apply, the better your chances of being rewarded before the funding runs out. 

2. Consider the Amount of Money on Offer

As explained earlier in this article, learning dentistry can be costly. For this reason, you need to apply for scholarship programs that will help pay for college well enough to cover all your bases. 

As you do your research, you’ll find that some scholarships offer $1,000, with others going high into the hundreds of thousands. However, try not to overlook the smaller scholarships. Receiving $1,000 awards here and there will add up quickly to a significant sum. 

3. Gather as Much Information as Possible 

You need to do intensive research when applying for scholarships for you to make a well-informed decision. 

A good place to start is your college advisor or high school counselor. Give them access to your submission so they can review and help improve your application. This way, your chances of success will be a lot higher.  

Your advisor/counselor may also refer to scholarships that you would not have come across on your own. 

Dental School Scholarships Are There to Help

One of the main concerns of students not just in medicine but in virtually all fields of study is and will probably always be money. With tuition fees, accommodation, food, and other campus-related bills ever on the rise, it can be difficult for students to make ends meet. 

However, hefty tuition fees shouldn’t deter you from pursuing a degree in dentistry. There are reliable and reputable dental school scholarships out there that can make a difference so that you can realize your potential.