Understanding Arizona Dental School Tuition Costs

Financing a dental education is a significant undertaking. For prospective students considering dental schools in Arizona, understanding the tuition costs, fees, and available payment options is crucial. This article provides a comprehensive overview of tuition-related information for dental programs in Arizona, including payment plans, financial aid, and other factors influencing the overall cost.

Tuition Payment Plans and Funding Options

Many dental schools in Arizona offer flexible payment plans to help students manage tuition expenses. Arrangements may be made for students to pay tuition on a monthly basis.

Payment Plans: Payment plans are created for tuition to be paid while attending classes. This allows students to spread out the cost over the duration of their program.
Full or Partial Payments: Full or partial payments can be made prior to the class start date, providing flexibility for students who have the means to pay upfront.
Financial Aid: Tuition costs can be partially or fully funded for those who qualify for financial aid, scholarships, or grants.

Tuition and Fees at A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ASDOH)

A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ASDOH) is a popular choice for many dental students. Understanding its tuition structure is essential for prospective applicants.

Annual Tuition Rates: Annual tuition rates are split and billed according to the scheduled semesters and are due on the first week of class.
Billing Schedule: Most fees follow a similar billing schedule with a few exceptions.
Rate Changes: Rates are subject to change each academic year for all enrolled students.

According to the information, Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health tuition and fees are $112,322 for year one, $112,678 for year two, $109,064 for year three, and $108,818 for year four. Students should also consider an additional ~$35,000 per year for living expenses.

Additional Information for ASDOH Applicants

Prerequisites: Like many dental schools, ASDOH has specific prerequisite coursework and experience requirements that applicants must complete before matriculating. Applicants must have a total of 100 hours of dental shadowing.

ASDOH Course Requirements:

Read also: Arizona Education System

8 credits of General Biology
3 credits of Biochemistry
8 credits of General Chemistry
4 credits of Organic Chemistry
8 credits of Physics

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3 credits of Anatomy
3 credits of a Physiology
3 credits of a English/Writing intensive course
Letters of Recommendation: In regards to letters of recommendations, ASDOH requires a minimum of two letters of recommendation: one letter of recommendation from a science professor and one letter of recommendation from a dentist. Applicants may substitute a committee letter in place of the science professor letter.

ASU Online Tuition Calculator

Arizona State University (ASU) offers an online tuition calculator to help prospective students estimate their costs.

Read also: Understanding ASU Tuition

Factors Influencing Tuition: Your tuition costs will depend on your program, transfer credits, and course load.
Using the Calculator: Use the ASU tuition calculator to estimate your tuition fees prior to any financial aid, scholarships, or grants. For additional cost estimates, view ASU's standard cost of attendance.
Credit Hours: Credit hours refer to the college credit you’ll earn upon completing a course. Typically, one standard course is worth 3 credit hours.

Fee Information at ASU

ASU tuition and fees are approved annually by the Arizona Board of Regents.

Undergraduate College Fee: The Undergraduate College Fee is the average for instructional costs based on your program.
Student Initiated Fee: The Student Initiated Fee includes funding for clubs, organizations, health and counseling services, and other student experience costs.
Graduate Student Support Fee: The Graduate Student Support Fee helps fund graduate student resources and services including technology, instructional, and laboratory expenses.

Residency and Tuition Costs

Residency status plays a significant role in determining tuition costs at Arizona dental schools.

Arizona Residents: If you’re an Arizona resident, your tuition will be capped at 11 credit hours each semester, meaning your tuition will not increase with any additional credits you take.

Understanding Net Price

While tuition and fee estimates can seem overwhelming, your net online tuition price provides a better estimate of how much money you’ll actually spend on your college degree. Your net price is the cost of tuition and fees subtracted by any college financial aid such as grants, scholarships, tuition waivers, and other types of federal aid.

Additional Costs to Consider

Besides tuition and fees, students should also budget for other expenses.

Living Expenses: Students should also consider an additional ~$35,000 per year for living expenses.*Estimated total other expenses for the entire program is $20,602.
Books and Supplies: The Arizona School of Dental Assisting tuition includes books and supplies.

Paying Off Dental School Debt

Graduating from dental school often comes with a substantial amount of student loan debt. The typical dental school graduates consult with have around $400,000 in student loan debt. As we analyzed the survey results, we were interested in the total cost for dentists. This includes dental school tuition, fees, supplies and health services.

Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Plans: On each of these plans, borrowers pay 10% to 20% of their discretionary income. After 20 to 25 years of payments (depending on the plan), your remaining balance will be forgiven. Note that unlike Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), IDR loan forgiveness isn’t tax-free. This forgiveness is considered disposable income and is taxable.
Private Student Loans: If you’re attending one of the lower-cost dental schools, you may find that private student loans are the way to go. Normally, we’d advise against this. But because these schools cost less, it's possible that you could score a much lower interest rate with a private loan, depending on the specific program you gain admission to.
Refinancing: If your debt-to-income ratio is moderate, it might be smart to refinance your dental school loans. Keep in mind that when you refinance, your federal loans will turn into private loans. This means you’ll lose access to loan forgiveness, IDR plans, and other federal protections.

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