The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) applications for the eight situations in Texas designated as having veterinary shortages.

These areas include Bell, Borden, Burnet, Childress, Coke, Collingsworth, Concho, Cooke, Cottle, Culberson, Dawson, Denton, Grayson, Hall, Hardeman, Howard, Jim Hogg, Loving, Lynn, Martin, Nolan, Pecos, Potter, Reeves, Runnels, Starr, Taylor, Ward, Webb, Williamson and Zapata counties.

The designated shortage areas identify where large animal veterinarians are currently needed, and veterinarians are eligible to apply for loan repayment if they agree to serve at least three years in one of these areas.

Veterinarians who commit to providing food animal veterinary services in a designated shortage area will enter into an educational loan repayment agreement with USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), who will repay up to $40,000 per year with a maximum of $120,000 for a three-year contract.

To be eligible to apply for VMLRP funds, an application must:

  • possess a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree from a school of Veterinary Medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education;
  • have qualified educational loan debt with a combined minimum of $15,000;
  • be able to secure employment in a designated veterinary shortage situation within 90 days of award notification; and
  • meet all other terms and conditions of the application process.

To apply, a letter of intent is required to be submitted to VMLRP.applications@usda.gov by Feb. 19.

Visit the VMLRP website for instructions, additional program information and eligibility details.

The final VMLRP application must be submitted by March 5.

The VMLRP is authorized by the National Veterinary Medical Services Act and helps qualified veterinarians offset a significant portion of debt incurred while pursuing their veterinary medicine degree in return for at least three years of service in a designated veterinary shortage situation. The 2026 awards will be offered Sept. 30, 2026, and the service agreement begins Jan. 1, 2027.