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American Dental Education Association

Volume 3, No. 87, June 25, 2025

U.S. Senate Plans Action on Reconciliation

 

This week, the Senate intends to take up , the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that the House passed on May 22. The bill has numerous provisions of concern to higher education and access to oral health care.

 

Both the House-passed bill and the draft Senate version will end the GradPLUS loan program after July 1, 2026. However, students who have begun an academic course using the GradPLUS loan program will be allowed to continue using it as long as the course’s expected completion date is within three years.

 

Again, both versions of the bill cap overall graduate student borrowing from Federal loan programs—the House at $150,000 and the Senate at $200,000. The draft Senate version places a lifetime limit on overall Federal borrowing at $257,500, after July 1, 2026.

 

The Senate proposes to repeal all current income-driven repayment plans and create one new IDR plan effective July 1, 2026, with minimum monthly payments for 30 years and payment amounts from $120 to 10% of Adjusted Gross Income.

 

A modified standard repayment plan for a fixed period of 10 to 25 years depending on loan balance. PLUS loan borrowers must use standard repayment plans.

 

Both versions of the bill maintain the Public Services Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program but include certain provisions that make it more difficult to qualify. For instance, the Senate version provides that time spent in dental and medical internships and residencies do not count as public service jobs under PSLF.

 

The Medicaid provisions also cause concerns. The Senate bill eliminates temporary incentive for states that adopted expansion (i.e., the 90% Federal match) after July 1, 2026. It also requires states to perform eligibility determination every six months, rather than yearly, for Medicaid expansion adults beginning Dec. 31, 2026. States will also be required to obtain enrollee address information from a “reliable data source.” All these provisions could cause at least 13.7 million people to lose insurance coverage over the next 10 years, according to the.

 

ADEA has posted and information on asking dental educators to be in touch with their Senators about their concerns with higher education and Medicaid. Please contact your Members of Congress!

 

State Department Resumes Processing of Student and Exchange Visitor Applications With Social Media Vetting

 

On June 18, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announcing the implementation of social media screening for all F, M and J nonimmigrant visa applicants. This move follows a instructing U.S. embassies and consulates to halt new student and exchange visitor visa interviews in preparation for the new vetting policy.

 

According to the guidance, U.S. posts abroad will now resume scheduling visa interviews with the social media screening policy in effect. Applicants for F, M and J visas will be asked to set their social media profiles to “public” visibility to facilitate the review process.

 

While the guidance does not detail the exact parameters of the screening, it does emphasize national security reasons, stating:

 

“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.”

 

ADEA previously joined the American Council on Education and other associations in signing a urging Secretary of State Rubio to keep the pause on visa processing as brief as possible, streamline the overall process and maintain appropriate vetting for students and other individuals seeking entry to the United States.

 

ADEA will continue to monitor student and exchange visitor visa developments.

 

New York Sends to Governor Bill to Allow Collaborative Practice Agreements Between Dentists and Dental Hygienists

 

The New York State Legislature has to Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) that, if signed, would allow dental hygienists to practice without supervision in specified locations if they enter into a collaborative practice agreement with a licensed dentist. Major provisions of the bill include:

  • The scope of practice for dental hygienists practicing under a collaborative practice agreement would include all services that are currently permitted under general supervision, and patients would be allowed to be seen without prior evaluation of a dentist or medical professional.
  • Unsupervised services provided by dental hygienists under a collaborative practice agreement would only be permitted in a hospital, an appropriately equipped school, a federally qualified health center, a long-term care facility, a group home servicing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a facility serving veterans, a temporary housing facility, prisons, a drug treatment facility, a domestic violence shelter and appropriate settings in which homebound residents are unable to be relocated for necessary treatment.
  • To be eligible to practice under a collaborative practice agreement, a dental hygienist must have practiced for at least three years with a minimum of 4,500 practice hours. Additionally, a dental hygienist would be required to complete an eight-hour continuing education program that includes instruction in medical emergency procedures, risk management, dental hygiene jurisprudence and professional ethics.
Louisiana Governor Signs AADB Compact

 

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) making his state the first to join the American Association of Dental Boards’ Interstate Dental & Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact. While ADEA believes interstate mobility is important for oral health professionals, ADEA prefers and has for a different compact, the

FY2025 Faculty Loan Repayment Program
 

"The provides up to $40,000 in loan repayment assistance. In exchange, you commit to two years of full or part-time service as a faculty member at an eligible health professions school. The application deadline is Thursday, July 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET."

 

ADEA Advocacy in Action

This appears weekly in the ADEA Advocate to summarize and provide direct links to recent advocacy actions taken by ADEA. Please let us know what you think and how we might improve its usefulness.

 

Issues and Resources

  • ADEA on teledentistry
  • ADEA on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Dental Schools
  • ADEA policy regarding overprescription of antibiotics
  • For a full list of ADEA memos, briefs and letters click .

The is published weekly. Its purpose is to keep ADEA members abreast of federal and state issues and events of interest to the academic dentistry and the dental and research communities.

 

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American Dental Education Association

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B. Timothy Leeth, CPA

ADEA Chief Advocacy Officer

 

Bridgette DeHart, J.D.

ADEA Director of Federal Relations and Advocacy

 

Phillip Mauller, M.P.S.

ADEA Senior Director of State Relations and Advocacy

 

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