Veterinarians who serve rural areas may be eligible to receive loan repayment for college debt

The United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for loan repayment grants for veterinarians willing to serve in parts of Virginia with moderate to critical shortages of food animal veterinarians. As in many states, several rural counties in Virginia lack adequate access to veterinary services for food supply animals such as beef cattle and sheep.

Dr. Richard Wilkes, the Virginia State Veterinarian, said, “Veterinarians are critical to America’s food safety and food security, and to the health and well-being of both animals and humans. Many farmers face a critical shortage of veterinarians, but many veterinarians who have accumulated high student debt amounts choose to work in locations that offer higher pay than rural America.” The loan award program is designed to give assistance to veterinarians so they can fill these shortages and help improve the health of livestock and ensure a safe food supply.

Virginia has what USDA designates as Type 2 shortages in four areas of the state: one is a Critical shortage in Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott and Wise counties. Moderate shortages are in Bland, Smyth and Tazewell counties; Alleghany, Bath and Highland counties; and Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Page, Prince William, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren counties.

As a condition of the award, the veterinarian must serve beef cattle and small ruminant producers – sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas and other camelids. He or she may also serve dairy cattle, swine and poultry. Awardees filling Type 2 shortage areas must dedicate at least 30 percent of their time or 12 hours per week to provision of food animal veterinary services. Recipients are required to commit to three years of veterinary service in a designated veterinary shortage area.

Loan repayment benefits up to $25,000 per year for three years are limited to payments of the principal and interest on government and commercial loans received for attendance at an American Veterinary Medical Association-accredited college of veterinary medicine resulting in a degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or the equivalent. Repayments made by the loan repayment program are taxable income. Also included in the award is a federal tax payment equal to 39 percent of the loan payment to offset the increase in income tax liability.

The deadline for applications is June 22, 2015. More information is available at http://nifa.usda.gov/program/veterinary-medicine-loan-repayment-program.