Grants for dental assisting and hygiene education programs creation

This bill creates a $20 million grant and forgivable loan program to help Minnesota dental assisting and hygiene education programs expand student capacity. It directly affects accredited higher education programs in these fields, allowing them to apply for funding to improve facilities, create scholarships, boost faculty salaries, or purchase equipment. The Minnesota Department of Health will award funds based on applications, prioritizing programs that maximize student enrollment growth. The appropriation is a one-time fiscal year 2026 allocation, available until June 30, 2028. Programs applying for accreditation but not yet approved are also eligible.