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New Mexico dental students receive an opportunity to study at the Hunt School of Dental Medicine in El Paso

October 20, 2021

Two future New Mexico dental students will have something to smile about, thanks to the New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED). The state agency is stepping up to help with tuition costs for New Mexico residents attending Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso’s Hunt School of Dental Medicine in El Paso, Texas.

In an agreement between the NMHED and Hunt School of Dental Medicine recently announced in Las Cruces, the agency said it will cover the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition for two New Mexico students who otherwise would be required to pay the higher out-of-state tuition to attend the Texas school. The funds, provided by the New Mexico Legislature, will cover up to $20,000 in tuition per student.

Tom Hutchison, board member for the Paso del Norte Health Foundation and a Las Cruces resident, was recognized for the Health Foundation’s $11 million commitment to the Hunt School of Dental Medicine.

A first for any dental school in the nation, Hunt School of Dental Medicine students begin clinical training and patient interaction during their first semester. It’s also the first and only dental school in the nation that requires Spanish-language courses. Sixty percent of the school’s students consider themselves bilingual or multilingual, helping to reduce language barriers during patient care.

The Hunt School of Dental Medicine is the first dental school on the U.S.-Mexico border, and the only one in West Texas. It is one of few Hispanic-Serving dental schools in the nation, with 32.5% of its inaugural class identifying as Hispanic.