The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has started accepting Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) applications for the eight Texas areas experiencing veterinary shortages. Applications may be submitted through March 16, 2018.

The VMLRP is authorized by the National Veterinary Medical Services Act (NVMSA) and helps qualified veterinarians offset a significant portion of debt incurred while pursuing their veterinary medicine degrees in return for at least three years of service in a designated veterinary shortage area.

Eligible veterinarians are encouraged to apply for the VMLRP. The criteria are listed below:

  1. Have a degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), or the equivalent, from a college of veterinary medicine accredited by the AVMA Council on Education;
  2. Have qualifying educational loan debt as defined in 7 CFR 3431 Section 3;
  3. Secure an offer of employment or establish and/or maintain a practice in a designated veterinary shortage area. Click here to view the Texas shortage areas; and
  4. Provide certifications and verification in accordance with 7 CFR 3431 Section 16.

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will be offering a webinar for interested veterinarians to provide an in-depth explanation of the VMLRP. Visit https://nifa.usda.gov/webinar-vmlrp-applicants for more information.

Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) will also offer a webinar for interested Texas applicants.

Information for the webinar will be posted on TAHCs website.

For more information about the fiscal year 2018 VMLRP application process, visit https://nifa.usda.gov/vmlrpapplicants or contact vmlrp@nifa.usda.gov.

While TAHC does not administer this program, comments or questions related to the shortage areas may be directed to susan.culp@tahc.texas.gov.