Posted: | December 17, 2012 10:15 AM |
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From: | Representative William C. Kortz, II |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Co-sponsorship of Legislation to establish the Loan Forgiveness for Dentists Act (Former House Bill 2355) |
In the near future, I intend to reintroduce House Bill 2355 of the 2011-2012 Legislative Session which would establish the Loan Forgiveness for Dentists Program in the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency. According to the Pennsylvania Dental Association, on average, a dental student graduates with more than $200,000 in debt, and dentists who continue their education in specialty training typically assume an even greater amount. Graduating dentists quickly become small business owners subject to their state’s economy, taxes, regulations and insurance policies. Many dentists choose to relocate to an area with a large patient base in order to increase their chances of earnings and reduce their overwhelming debt. Unfortunately in Pennsylvania, only 30% of graduating dentists return to practice in our Commonwealth. It is my belief that we must offer a greater incentive to our students to pursue training in dentistry in order to maintain the delivery of quality dentistry in the Commonwealth. My legislation would establish the Loan Forgiveness for Dentists Program in which the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency would be able to forgive up to 50% of the dentist’s loan, not exceeding $100,000. The recipient would be subject to a 4 year contract with the agency and the award would be forgiven over a four year period at an annual rate of 25%. Please join me in encouraging quality dentistry in our Commonwealth by adding your name as a co-sponsor to this necessary legislation. Former HB 2355 Co-sponsors: Stern, Barbin, Brownlee, Caltagirone, Cohen, Curry, Cutler, Daley, J. Evans, Fabrizio, Freeman, Galloway, George, Gibbons, Harhai, Harkins, Josephs, Kortz, Neuman, M. O'Brien, Payton, Preston, Sainato, Vulakovich and Waters. |
Introduced as HB542