Subsidised Dental Scheme

Students are able to receive subsidised appointments from either Ilam Dental or Moriarty Dental with a voucher from the UCSA.

Appointments are 50% off for UC students, with the maximum subsidy amount of $210 per student, per year. This means the total discount you receive for your appointments will not exceed $210.

The first subsidised appointment will consist of a check-up and hygiene service.

How will it work?

1. Contact the UCSA by completing the online form below.
2. The UCSA will reply with a unique voucher for you to take to your first appointment.
3. Contact the dental clinic to book your combined check-up and hygiene appointment.
4. Attend the appointment (with voucher and student ID) and receive your treatment plan if applicable.
5. Pay for 50% of the appointment cost at the time of each appointment.
6. If you need follow-up appointments, the clinic will keep track of your subsidy balance and charge you accordingly. You do not need to apply for another voucher to get the follow-up treatment.

Capacity Limits

There is limited capacity for the subsidised dental scheme. This means we have a limited number of vouchers that we can offer each week. If you find you are not able to complete the online form, that means the maximum number of vouchers will have been issued for that week. Check the website again the following week. The form will open from 8:30am on Mondays (except for public holidays). We have seen extremely high demand recently and unfortunately the vouchers have been allocated within 5 to 10 minutes on some occasions.

We cannot make exceptions for urgent dental situations. If you are in pain and cannot wait to secure a voucher, you will need to visit another private dental clinic. Domestic students: please talk to Studylink about their dental grant. International students: please check with your insurance provider on what they cover.

Please note:

1. UCSA will not be keeping a waiting list.
2. UCSA will not be making appointments on your behalf.
3. You cannot apply for more than one voucher per year.
4. You cannot book more than one check-up appointment per year under this subsidy.
5. This scheme will be available from 21 February 2022 – 2 December 2022.

Exclusions

The subsidy and the grant will only cover:

1. Check-ups
2. Hygiene Cleaning
3. Fissure Sealants
4. Fillings
5. Simple Extractions (no surgical or sedation)

The subsidy or the grant will not cover any treatment in the following categories:

1. ACC subsidised treatment
2. Emergency Community Services Card $40 appointments
3. Cosmetic dental treatment
4. Any other treatment outside of the coverage list above

Subsidised Dental Grant Information

After receiving a subsidised check-up/hygiene appointment you will receive a treatment plan if needed. If your treatment plan is over $450 (before subsidy is applied) and you cannot afford the cost, you may be eligible to apply for the Subsidised Dental Grant from the UCSA.

The maximum grant amount is $1000. Students must demonstrate that the cost of the appointment would put them in financial difficulties (i.e. have less than $1000 across all their bank accounts) and have exhausted all other financial support options (i.e. family support, Studylink assistance, insurance if you have it).

In order to apply for the grant, please get in contact with the UCSA Advocacy and Welfare Team. They will send you an application form and ask you to provide other supporting documents (i.e. bank statements, your treatment plan quote, and your academic transcript).

Please note:

1. The grant will only be applicable to those who have had their check-up/hygiene appointment through the UCSA Subsidised Dental Scheme.
2. Students who seek dental services outside of the UCSA Subsidised Dental Scheme will not be able to apply for the Subsidised Dental Grant but may be able to apply for the UCSA Hardship Grant (Terms and Conditions apply).

Example of How the Subsidy Works

A check-up and hygiene appointment costs $99 (before the subsidy). The student will pay 50% of this (i.e. $49.50) at the time of the appointment.

The total subsidy per student per year is $210. This means after a check-up and hygiene appointment, $49.50 will be deducted from the student’s subsidy balance (i.e. $210 - $49.50 = $160.50).

Students will therefore have $160.50 worth of subsidy to apply to their treatment costs. If a student requires a filling, then 50% of the cost will be paid by the student and 50% of the cost will be deducted from their subsidy balance (i.e. $160.50).

If you have subsidy remaining after all your dental appointments, the balance will be added back to the pool of money for other students. You cannot book more than one check-up and hygiene appointment per year under this subsidy.

Examples:

1. Jane requires two fillings for a total cost of $200. The UCSA Subsidised Dental Scheme will provide a subsidy of $100, being 50% of the treatment cost. Jane must pay the remaining $100 cost of the treatment at the time.
2. Tom requires three fillings, for a total cost of $321. The UCSA Subsidised Dental Scheme will provide the full subsidy of $160.50, being 50% of the treatment cost. Tom must pay the remaining $160.50 cost of the treatment.
3. Jasmine requires three fillings and an extraction, for a total cost of $400. The UCSA Subsidised Dental Scheme will provide the full subsidy of $160.50, but Jasmine must cover the remaining $239.50 cost of the treatment, as 50% of the treatment cost exceeds the maximum value of $160.50 per student.

NB: these examples are not necessarily illustrative of the costs of treatment at the clinics associated with the UCSA Subsidised Dental Scheme, but are instead meant as examples of how the subsidy works.