In 2011, UCF’s plan to open a dental school by 2014 was rejected by the Florida Board of Governors.
The planned school, which was hoped to open in the Lake Nona medical district was shot down citing reasons being inadequate planning that needed to be reworked. However, UCF has not given up hope to build a dental school in a state where there are only three accredited dental programs.
UCF included a dental school on a wish-list of items submitted to the Board of Governors. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the dental school would be a $73 million dollar project that will not rely on state funding. Similar to the dental school proposal in 2011 which was going to rely on student tuition and private donations, this current dental school will most likely have to do the same if approved.
Ultimately, the 2011 dental school proposal would have made the school cost around $50,000 a year, which is nearly twice as much as the University of Florida’s dental school program.
A UCF spokesman told the Orlando Sentinel that no timetable has been set to anew the proposal.
