The Organized Dentistry Coalition sent a letter July 30 to two congressional committees asking them to consider the Dental Loan Repayment Assistance Act in future tax legislation.
The letter asked the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee to include the bill in any future tax legislation considered this year.
The Dental Loan Repayment Assistance Act would allow full-time educators to exclude the amount of loan forgiveness received from the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program from their federal income taxes. According to the letters, the program was created to help academic dental institutions recruit and retain faculty.
"The Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program is making a real impact in recruiting and retaining dental faculty," the letter said. "By alleviating the tax burden of the loan repayment benefits, S 449 HR/1285 will make the program even more effective."