This post was updated June 10 at 9:50 p.m.

The UCLA School of Dentistry will adopt a new billing structure that aims to allow federal aid to cover student veterans’ dental kit fees next fall, following allegations that the university had obstructed students’ ability to access benefits.

The GI Bill covers the costs of tuition and supplies for qualifying veterans and their families, according to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. However, Thomas Boyce, a veteran and third-year dental student, alleged that the School of Dentistry did not charge dental kits through BruinBill, UCLA’s billing platform, which meant that the GI Bill could not cover some students’ equipment costs.

Dental students are charged for their cost of attendance through BruinBill, which the university reports to the VA for GI Bill coverage, Boyce added.

Students must buy two dental kits in their first and second years, which cost about $20,000 and $10,000, respectively, Boyce said. At least seven veteran students in the program have already paid $30,000 each for the dental kits, he alleged.

UCLA’s Veteran Resource Center cannot certify dental kit charges with the VA if they are not processed as university-mandated fees through BruinBill, said Marcee Davis, the assistant director of veterans benefits administration and lead school certifying official, in an email to Boyce obtained by the Daily Bruin. Students must pay for dental kits to continue attending the School of Dentistry, Boyce added.

“If anybody had to pay $30,000, that’s a lot of money,” Boyce said. “On the VA’s instructions or literature, it says, ‘We will cover all mandatory tuition and fees,’ so I was not planning on paying this expense.”

The School of Dentistry has not provided guidance on whether the new billing structure for dental kits will address prior dental kit charges for veteran students who are already in the program, Davis said in the email.

A UCLA School of Dentistry spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the school will incorporate the new billing policy into the university’s existing fee structure. They added that the School of Dentistry is committed to supporting students impacted by the previous billing structure.

“While the new payment plan cannot be applied retroactively, the School will continue working with relevant partners to identify available options and provide updates to impacted students as that process moves forward,” the spokesperson said in the statement.

Boyce said he has urged the School of Dentistry to change its billing processes for dental kits since fall 2023, including by contacting administrators, the Office of Student Services and Chancellor Julio Frenk.

The UC San Francisco School of Dentistry – the only other UC dental school – includes dental kits under the cost of tuition, so they are covered by the GI Bill, he added.

A full-time faculty member in the School of Dentistry, who was granted anonymity due to fear of retaliation, said the dental kits are essential for students to learn about clinical care for patients.

“When you make a deal with the federal government to trade your time and your prime years for an exchange of paying for dental school … and then when you’re presented with a significant mandatory fee that is not being paid for – that rubs people the wrong way,” Boyce said.

A former School of Dentistry administrative staff member, who was granted anonymity due to fear of retaliation, alleged that administrators did not address the GI Bill issues in a timely manner.

A part-time faculty member, who was granted anonymity due to fear of retaliation, alleged that the School of Dentistry often posts content about its commitment to veteran students, but administrators neglect them behind closed doors.

“If you’re going to use your veterans and use them as marketing to recruit other high level students who are also veterans, if you’re going to glorify them in articles and Instagram posts, you should treat them well,” the part-time faculty member said. “They should know what they’re signing up for financially.”

The former staff member said Paul H. Krebsbach, the dean of the School of Dentistry, has not publicly acknowledged the issue. They added that they believe Krebsbach has not been receptive to feedback from administrators and students.

Krebsbach did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the dental kit fees.

“It’s actually appalling,” the former staff member said. “That was one of the reasons why I left.”

Veteran students have been hesitant to speak out about the issue because of fears of retaliation from the university, including through exclusion from scholarships and receiving poor letters of recommendation for residency placement, Boyce said.

“This is the risk that I have decided to take,” Boyce said. “If nothing changes, how many people after me are going to lose out on this benefit?”

The administrative staff member said they believe administrators have treated veteran students unfairly, adding that the School of Dentistry does not have enough resources for veteran students.

“These are individuals that fought for our country,” the administrative staff member said. “These are our students we should actually try to protect, and we need to make sure we have valuable resources.”