New student loan forgiveness incentivizes rural dental practice

The Government of Canada has expanded its Canada Student Loan Forgiveness program to include dentists and dental hygienists, creating a significant new incentive for oral health professionals who choose to practice in smaller communities. Effective December 31, 2025, the program now recognizes the vital role oral health providers play in improving access to care across rural and underserved regions of the country.

Previously, the program focused primarily on family doctors and nurses working in rural or remote communities. The recent expansion broadens eligibility to include dentists and dental hygienists, alongside pharmacists, midwives, teachers, social workers, physiotherapists, psychologists, early childhood educators, and personal support workers. The goal is to encourage more professionals to deliver in-person services in communities where access to essential health and social services remains limited.

For dentistry graduates, the change is particularly impactful. Dentists are now eligible for up to $60,000 in federal student loan forgiveness, while dental hygienists may receive up to $15,000, applied over a maximum of five years. The years of service do not need to be consecutive, offering flexibility for professionals planning their careers.

Dr. Walter Siqueira (DDS), Dean of the College of Dentistry, says the expansion aligns closely with the profession’s commitment to community service. “This program creates a meaningful opportunity for our graduates to reduce their student debt while making a real difference in communities that need oral health care the most. It supports both access to care and the long-term sustainability of the dental workforce in rural Canada.”

Forgiveness is applied annually to the principal balance of the federal portion of Canada Student Loans at the end of each qualifying year of service. Borrowers must continue making regular loan payments during the service period, as the program does not cover interest or directly reduce monthly payment obligations. Private loans, lines of credit are not eligible.

To qualify for forgiveness in any given year, participants must:

• Have an outstanding Canada Student Loan in good standing, with payments up to date.
• Be employed in an eligible profession for 12 consecutive months.
• Provide at least 400 hours of direct, in-person services in an eligible community.
• Hold the appropriate professional license or certification recognized by the local authority.
• Work may be completed with multiple employers or across multiple eligible communities, and self-employment can qualify if all program criteria are met.

Eligible communities are defined as any rural area in Canada or population center with 30,000 people or fewer, based on eligibility criteria in effect as of November 6, 2024.

Student perspectives: Choosing to serve rural communities

For some current dental students, the expansion of the Canada Student Loan Forgiveness program reinforces plans they already had—to return home and serve the communities that shaped them.

Jared Byers, a Year 4 Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) student from Oxbow, Saskatchewan, plans to return to southeast Saskatchewan after graduation. He intends to practice in Carlyle, a community that serves patients from multiple small towns and rural areas across the southeast corner of the province. Like many rural regions, he says the area continues to be underserved when it comes to access to dental care.

“Yes, I will be taking advantage of the program,” says Byers. “To me this program provides incentive for more graduating dentists to provide care to these underserved areas in the province. The province could benefit tremendously from having more dental professionals serving rural communities.”

Abby Blomquist, a Year 2 DMD student from Nipawin, Saskatchewan, shares a similar perspective. Having witnessed firsthand the challenges rural residents face in accessing oral health care. She notes that long wait lists at rural clinics are common and can be discouraging for patients. “I think incentives for dentists to practice in rural towns are a great idea—anything that increases access to dental care is important,” Blomquist says.

She also sees the program as a way to align professional goals with community impact.“I want to practice in my hometown, Nipawin, and serve the community that I have grown up in and love.”

The expansion of the Canada Student Loan Forgiveness program represents an important step toward improving oral health equity while supporting new graduates as they launch their careers. For dentists and dental hygienists considering practice in smaller communities, it offers both financial relief and the opportunity to serve where their skills are urgently needed.

Full program details, including application requirements and eligibility updates, are available on the Government of Canada website. https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/education/student-aid/grants-loans/repay/assistance/student-loan-forgiveness.html#h2.1