The company pledges ongoing support for Howard University and Meharry Medical College dental programs, alongside broader scholarship funding
CAMP HILL, Pa. – April 30, 2026 – A nearly $1.1 million investment from the United Concordia Dental Charitable Fund is strengthening the future dental workforce by providing scholarships for dental and dental hygiene students nationwide.
The funding includes:
- Scholarship grants of $1 million each will be awarded by 2030 to Howard University and Meharry Medical College by the United Concordia Dental Charitable Fund. This includes a renewed five-year commitment (2026-2030) of $500,000 for each of the dental schools at these institutions, building on the prior multi-year funding awarded for 2021-2025.
- $86,000 in broader scholarship support for the 2025-26 school year, benefiting 24 students at 10 other academic institutions across the nation.
"Investing in the next generation of dental professionals is one way to help expand access to care and increase opportunities for everyone to achieve better health outcomes,” said Ed Shellard, DMD, president and CEO, United Concordia Dental. "Through these scholarships, we want to make it easier for students to pursue career paths, and, at the same time, foster a strong pipeline of dentists and dental hygienists who are well-prepared to meet the oral health needs of all communities.”
Currently, more than 63.7 million Americans lack adequate access to dental care, which can lead to poorer oral and overall health outcomes, because they reside in places with insufficient dentists for the local population – designated as Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). Beyond that, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis data projects a shortage of 19,860 general dentists and 33,220 dental hygienists by 2038, due to factors such as the financial burden of education, an aging workforce and increasing demand for dental services.
Along with the Howard and Meharry partnerships, United Concordia supports several other colleges and universities nationwide through its annual scholarship program. The institutions benefiting from the 2025-26 grants are:
|
State |
Academic Institution |
Location |
Program |
|
California |
Pasadena City College |
Pasadena |
Dental Hygiene |
|
Colorado |
Community College of Denver |
Denver |
Dental Hygiene |
|
Florida |
Hillsborough Community College |
Tampa |
Dental Hygiene |
|
Georgia |
Albany State University |
Albany |
Dental Hygiene |
|
New Mexico |
University of New Mexico |
Albuquerque |
Dental Hygiene |
|
Pennsylvania |
Community College of Philadelphia |
Philadelphia |
Dental Hygiene |
|
Northampton Community College |
Allentown |
Dental Hygiene |
|
|
University of Pittsburgh |
Pittsburgh |
Dental and Dental Hygiene |
|
|
Texas |
Temple College |
Temple |
Dental Hygiene |
|
Virginia |
Virginia Commonwealth University |
Richmond |
Dental and Dental Hygiene |
Since 2004, United Concordia has provided over $1.7 million in financial support to dental and dental hygiene students to help cover the costs of their education.
To learn more about United Concordia, visit UnitedConcordia.com. Sign up to get the latest company news.
Contact:
Kristy Cramlet
United Concordia Dental
717-260-7762
kristy.cramlet@ucci.com
Leilyn Perri
Highmark Health
717-302-4243
leilyn.perri@highmarkhealth.org
