Part III. Scholarship and Loan Repayment Awards
12VAC5-520-130. Eligible applicants.
A. Any currently enrolled dental student in good standing and full-time attendance at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry who has not entered the first year of an accredited residency shall be eligible for the Virginia Dental Scholarship Program. Preference for the scholarship award shall be given to residents of the Commonwealth, students who are residents of a dental underserved area, and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
B. Any graduate of an accredited dental school in the United States who is establishing a practice in general or specialty dentistry in an underserved area or practicing dentistry in a designated state facility shall be eligible to apply for the Virginia Dentist Loan Repayment Program. General practice dentists will be within five years of graduation from an accredited undergraduate dental program and have existing loans accumulated as a result of their undergraduate dental program. Specialty practice dentists will be within five years of completion of their specialty training and have existing loans accumulated as a result of their undergraduate dental program. Dentists who received Virginia scholarship awards or other scholarships that paid their full tuition and fees are not eligible for the Dentist Loan Repayment Program for the years they received those awards.
Statutory Authority
§ 32.1-122.9 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 18, Issue 15, eff. May 8, 2002; amended, Virginia Register Volume 29, Issue 3, eff. November 8, 2012.
12VAC5-520-140. Scholarship and loan repayment award.
A Virginia dental scholarship or loan repayment shall be awarded to the recipient upon or following the recipient's execution of a contract with the commissioner for scholarship or loan repayment by practicing dentistry in an underserved area or designated state facility as defined in this chapter.
Statutory Authority
§§ 32.1-122.9 and 32.1-122.9:1 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 18, Issue 15, eff. May 8, 2002.
12VAC5-520-150. Distribution of scholarships and loan repayment awards.
The Virginia General Assembly establishes the total combined appropriation for the dental scholarship and dentist loan repayment programs. Funds shall be awarded for these programs based on the following criteria:
1. Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry shall use the application procedure established by the commissioner and annually submit the names of qualified students to receive scholarships in accordance with the criteria for preference enumerated in 12VAC5-520-130. The total number of scholarship awards will be based on availability of funds. Scholarship awards will be made annually by October 30 to third-year and fourth-year dental students. First-year and second-year students will be considered for an award only in the event of extreme financial need. Individual scholarship recipients may receive a maximum of five scholarship awards.
2. The application period for the Dentist Loan Repayment Program will begin in October with awards made by the end of each fiscal year. Preference for loan repayment awards will be given to graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. Individual loan repayment recipients may receive a maximum of four awards upon graduation from dental school. All awards will be competitive and will be based on availability of funds.
Statutory Authority
§ 32.1-122.9 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 18, Issue 15, eff. May 8, 2002; amended, Virginia Register Volume 29, Issue 3, eff. November 8, 2012.
12VAC5-520-160. Contractual practice obligation.
Prior to the payment of money to a scholarship or loan repayment recipient, the commissioner shall prepare and enter into a contract with the recipient. The contract shall:
1. Provide that the recipient of the scholarship award shall pursue the dental course of Virginia Commonwealth University until graduation and upon graduation or upon graduation from an accredited residency program that does not exceed four years, shall notify the commissioner in writing of his proposed practice location or intent to enter a residency not more than 30 days after graduation and begin his approved practice within 90 days after completing dental school or residency, and thereafter continuously engage in full-time dental practice in a dental underserved area of Virginia or in a designated state facility for a period of years equal to the number of annual scholarships received.
2. Provide that upon graduation from an accredited dental school and receiving notification of the dentist loan repayment award, the dentist shall begin his approved practice within 90 days and thereafter continuously engage in full-time dental practice in an underserved area of Virginia or in a designated state facility for a period of years equal to the number of loan repayment awards received.
3. Provide that at any time prior to entering practice, the scholarship or loan repayment recipient shall be allowed to select a future practice location from the listing of dental underserved areas maintained by the board.
4. Provide that the recipient may request approval of a change of practice location. The commissioner in his discretion may approve such a request, but only if the change is to a practice location in a dental underserved area or a state facility designated by the Board of Health.
5. Provide that the recipient shall repay the scholarship or loan repayment obligation by practicing dentistry on a full-time basis in a dental underserved area, shall maintain office hours convenient for the population of the area to have access to the recipient's services and shall participate in all government-sponsored insurance programs designed to ensure access to dental services of recipients of public assistance. The recipient shall not selectively place limits on the numbers of such patients admitted to the practice.
6. Provide that the recipient shall not voluntarily obligate himself for more than the minimum period of military service required of dentists by the laws of the United States and that upon completion of the minimum period of military service, the recipient shall promptly begin and thereafter continuously engage in full-time dental practice in a dental underserved area of Virginia or in a designated state facility for the period of years equal to the number of scholarships received. Dental practice in federal agencies, military service or the U.S. Public Health Service may not be substituted for scholarship obligation.
7. Provide that the recipient shall receive credit toward fulfillment of his contractual obligation at the rate of 12 months of dental practice for each scholarship or loan repayment award paid to the recipient. The recipient may be absent from the place of approved practice for a total of four weeks in each 12-month period for personal reasons. Absence for a period in excess of four weeks without the written permission of the commissioner shall result in proportional reduction of the period of credit toward fulfillment of the contractual obligation.
8. Provide that should the scholarship recipient pay restitution by not serving his scholarship obligation in an underserved area, and within five years of paying restitution fulfills the terms of his contract through dental practice as outlined in this section, that the recipient will be reimbursed for all or part of any scholarship award paid based on the fulfillment of the scholarship and availability of funds.
Statutory Authority
§ 32.1-122.9 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 18, Issue 15, eff. May 8, 2002; amended, Virginia Register Volume 29, Issue 3, eff. November 8, 2012.