This week the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) issued a request for applications (RFA) for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP).
The VMLRP will pay up to $25,000 each year towards qualified educational loans of eligible veterinarians who agree to serve in designated shortage situations. The amount available for support of this program in FY 2015 is approximately $4.4 million.
The application period closes on June 22, and offers for loan repayment will be extended to selected applicants during September 2015. Earlier this year, NIFI closed its period for submission of shortage-situation nominations, and in April the institute posted its map and list of Designated Veterinarian Shortage Situations on its website. The VMLRP is authorized by the National Veterinary Medical Services Act (NVMSA) and is intended to provide access to high-quality veterinary services, using loan repayments to encourage veterinarians to practice in in rural areas where their services are in short supply.
Visit this NIFA website for more information, including instructions for applying for the VMLRP.
By John Maday, Editor, Bovine Veterinarian
Source: Bovine Veterinarian