Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program (DFLRP)

The Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration within the Bureau of Health Workforce, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services focused on strengthening the health workforce nationwide. This funding opportunity is designed to address persistent shortages in dental and dental hygiene faculty by providing financial support to institutions that can implement structured loan repayment programs. The program responds to increasing educational debt among dental professionals and declining interest in academic careers, both of which contribute to faculty shortages and ultimately limit the training capacity for future oral health professionals. The primary purpose of the program is to increase the number of full-time dental and dental hygiene faculty by reducing the financial burden of student loan debt. Funding is awarded to eligible institutions to plan, develop, or maintain a loan repayment program that incentivizes dentists and dental hygienists to pursue and remain in faculty positions. The program has three key objectives: reducing educational debt in exchange for service, encouraging long-term academic employment, and promoting faculty development through mentoring and institutional support activities. These objectives are aligned with broader workforce goals to expand access to oral health care and improve training pipelines. Funding under this opportunity is expected to total approximately 800000 dollars, with around eight awards anticipated. Individual awards may reach up to 100000 dollars per year depending on the project year, with structured increases across a five-year period of performance running from September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2031. Funds are primarily intended for loan repayment to faculty participants, with strict limitations on administrative costs and prohibitions on certain expenses such as equipment purchases, construction, and faculty development activities themselves. Loan repayment is distributed incrementally based on years of service, beginning at 10 percent of the loan balance and increasing to 30 percent by the fifth year. Eligible applicants are domestic organizations that operate accredited dental or dental hygiene education programs, including public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, tribal entities, and certain residency or advanced education programs. Applicants must be accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and must demonstrate the ability to administer a compliant loan repayment program. Individuals are not eligible to apply directly. Additionally, some organizations may be ineligible if they are currently funded under recent iterations of the same program. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov and includes multiple components such as a project narrative, budget and budget narrative, standardized work plan, and several required attachments including accreditation documentation, organizational charts, staffing plans, and maintenance of effort documentation. Applicants must clearly describe how they will implement and manage the loan repayment program, including participant selection, tracking of service commitments, and compliance with repayment rules. Evaluation criteria include need, response, performance management, impact, organizational capacity, and budget justification, with a total possible score of 100 points. Applications are due by July 8, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, with awards expected to be issued around August 2026 and project activities beginning in September 2026. The program operates on a recurring basis and requires ongoing reporting, including quarterly progress updates and annual performance reports. Award recipients must also comply with federal regulations, maintain financial accountability, and participate in program evaluations. Key contacts for the program include designated HRSA project officers and grants management specialists, who are available to provide guidance on eligibility, application requirements, and budget considerations. Overall, this program represents a strategic federal investment in the dental education workforce, aiming to alleviate financial barriers for clinicians considering academic careers while strengthening institutional capacity to train future providers. By linking loan repayment to service commitments, the program creates a structured pathway for workforce development that benefits both educational institutions and underserved populations reliant on expanded oral health services.

Align clearly with workforce shortage data; demonstrate strong participant selection and tracking systems; ensure budget compliance with strict caps; emphasize measurable outcomes and faculty retention impact