Collegiate I Program

• To be eligible for this program, applicants must:
  • Have an interest in dentistry
  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a social security number
  • Attend a Dallas-area school
  • Complete an interview with program staff
  • Provide an official high school transcript documenting a grade point average of 2.75 out of 4.0 (or 77.5 out of 100) or higher
  • Submit an application, including an essay explaining why you want to participate in the program
  • Submit two letters of recommendation from science or math teachers and/or counselors
  • Sign a contract committing to participate in all required project activities
  • Have been accepted into college at time of selection (must provide copy of acceptance letter)
  • **Be a member of a dentally underserved population and/or be considered academically or economically disadvantaged and
  • Demonstrate a strong potential of working with low-income populations or in communities with limited access to dental health care

** An academically disadvantaged' individual is one who comes from an environment that has inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skill and ability to enroll in and graduate from a health professions school. For the purpose of this program, an applicant is considered academically disadvantaged:

1. If he or she is or will be a first-generation college graduate to earn baccalaureate degree in his or her family, or

2. If he or she meets at least 4 of the following criteria:

· English is not the applicant's primary language

· Overcame or is experiencing extreme hardship

· From a single parent family

· Non-traditional student (including older age)

· Significant employment while attending school

· Attending a low-performing high school

· Resident of a financially poor school district

· Resident of a county designated as underserved by health professionals

· Resident of a lowest 10% per capita income county

· Other disadvantaged factor(s) identified by the applicant

** An economically disadvantaged' individual is one who comes from a family with an annual income below a level based on low-income thresholds according to family size, published by the U.S. Census Bureau in the Federal Register, and adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index.

• Two courses at Dallas College/Mountain View Campus
• Observing/shadowing dental students
• Pre-Clinical Dentistry Course
• Pre-DAT Course
• Learning Strategies Seminars
• Feedback Sessions

• A stipend to cover food, transportation and miscellaneous expenses
• Tuition, fees and books for 2 college courses
• Clinic and laboratory supplies
• Notebooks and other instructional material

• Students not living in Dallas County will pay a higher tuition fee for courses at Mountain View Community College. Texas A&M College of Dentistry will pay the in-county tuition fee and the student will be responsible for the difference
• Immunization fees

A selection committee, composed of the Program Director and Program Faculty, will review all applications and interview up to 25 applicants.

Students must have applied to college before applying to SPEP Collegiate. To be selected, applicants must have been accepted into college.

Preference will be given to applicants with a minimum of 8 hours of volunteer/observation in a dental environment (i.e. office, clinic, dental school).

All applicants must complete and submit the application and all supporting documents by February 27, 2026.

Please click on link for SPEP Collegiate I application - 2026 SPEP Collegiate I Application

Rosemarie Zartman, DDS, MS
Director, SPEP Collegiate I

Mrs. Janie Villarreal 
Administrative Coordinator
Phone: 214.828.8385
Email: jmvillarreal@tamu.edu 

Texas A&M College of Dentistry
Office of Student Development
3302 Gaston Avenue, Room 100
Dallas, Texas 75246

START DATE:
June 8, 2026

END DATE:
July 9, 2026

APPLICATION DEADLINE:
FEBRUARY 27, 2026

INTERVIEWS (via Zoom):
MARCH 16 - 17, 2026

NOTIFICATION DATE:
NO LATER THAN March 27, 2026

ORIENTATION DATE:
June 8, 2026