Parkland College in Champaign, Ill., has received $3.5 million in federal funding to expand its dental hygiene program and construct a new dental clinic.
The investment will allow the college to expand enrollment in the program by 40%, as well as increase access to dental services, according to a Feb. 18 news release from Sen. Dick Durbin, who helped secure the funding.
Nearly 3 million people in Illinois live in communities that have a shortage of dental providers. There are nine counties in the state that only have one dentist.
The funding was included in the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations package that was approved in February, the release said.
