Change someone's life

The MUSC James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine is home to 344 students who have chosen to dedicate their lives to our profession. Of these, 81 percent depend on financial aid to help pay for their educations.

Dental students in the classroom

The Pay It Forward Scholarship Campaign

At the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine, we believe the future of our profession belongs to the brightest, most gifted and hardest working among us. It should never be denied because of a student cannot afford dental tuition. 

For this reason, the College has launched its first ever alumni scholarship campaign to raise $10 million to help our students overcome what is becoming a major obstacle to a career in dental medicine: The cost. As of May, 2024, more than $4.9 million in support has been committed to scholarships.

The cost has never been higher

Dental tuition

Between 2008-2018, there was a 31.9% decline in state funding. As a result, the cost of a dental education for in-state students has increased more than four times over since 2003...

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Scholarships...the key to continued access

In order to keep our College filled with the most gifted and deserving students, we must be able to offer them scholarship support.

We have some funding for this purpose, but not enough. Of the 280 students who need help during any given year, we currently are able to provide just 40 with partial scholarship support with an average award of less than $5,000.

We can – and we must – do better.

With a gift you can...

  • Remove tuition as a barrier to a career in dental medicine.
  • Allow our students to focus on their education, instead of how they’re going to pay for school.
  • Minimize debt repayment as a factor in their career decisions.
  • Ensure the long-term viability of South Carolina’s most important dental-health resource.
  • Change the life of a dentist in training!

Pay it forward

The College is working to raise money for three scholarship funds, each of which honors an important figure in our school’s history.