AB 258

This bill requires the Higher Educational Aids Board, in consultation with the

Department of Health Services, to establish a program for awarding annual

scholarships of $75,000 to no more than five first-year students enrolled in the

Marquette University School of Dentistry (school). The scholarships are awarded for

each year of enrollment in the school, but not exceeding four years. To be eligible for

a scholarship, a student must be a state resident and enter into an agreement with

HEAB that he or she will practice dentistry upon graduation for a required number

of months in an eligible area in this state, which is a federally designated dental

health shortage area that is not located in Brown, Dane, Kenosha, Milwaukee, or

Waukesha County. The number of months required is 18 months for each annual

scholarship awarded to the student. In addition, the agreement must specify that

if a student does not practice dentistry in an eligible area in this state for the required

number of months, he or she is liable to the state for an amount that is based on the

number of months he or she did not practice in an eligible area in this state. Also,

the bill requires HEAB, in cooperation with the school, to make every effort to ensure

that students in the program practice dentistry upon graduation in eligible areas in

this state that are geographically diverse. Finally, the bill requires HEAB to make

grants to the school to defray the school's administrative costs related to the

program.