​Scholarships support 12 dental students

South Carolina Dental Association (SCDA) Foundation and Member Benefits Group

For more than 20 years, the SCDA community has supported scholarships for MUSC dental students.

This year, the SCDA announced $84,500 in scholarships and other forms of financial support given to offset the cost of education at the South Carolina American Student Dental Association senior banquet on April 26.

We are grateful for the SCDA's support of the dental profession and our very deserving students!

New this year, the SCDA's Pee Dee district created a scholarship for a senior with student debt who has committed to a private practice in the region. The association hopes to eventually present such scholarships from each of its four districts.

The scholarships were announced at the South Carolina American Student Dental Association’s annual banquet in honor of the senior class and their professors.

"The SCDA understands the debts that students are amounting in order to become a member of the dental profession. We will continue to support our future dentists," said Mona Ellis, D.M.D., part-time associate professor and the SCDA member who announced the scholarships.

South Carolina Rural Dentist Program

The state's Rural Dentist Award has evolved to offset $100,000 of educational debt for a dentist who will practice in a rural area and accept Medicaid patients. Seniors graduating with a rural commitment were encouraged to apply.