From: Subject: NIFA Begins Accepting Applications for Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:15:05 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0099_01CAE877.EA0E2BF0" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0099_01CAE877.EA0E2BF0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.nifa.usda.gov/newsroom/news/2010news/04301_vmlrp.html =EF=BB=BF NIFA Begins Accepting Applications for Veterinary = Medicine Loan Repayment Program

You are=20 here: Home / Newsroom=20 / NIFA Begins Accepting Applications for = Veterinary=20 Medicine Loan Repayment=20 Program

	Veterinary=20 Medicine Loan Repayment Program web = page
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NIFA Begins = Accepting=20 Applications for Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program

NIFA Will Host Webinar for = Potential=20 Applicants

Media Contact: Jennifer Martin, (202)=20 720-8188

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2010 =E2=80=93 = Agriculture Secretary=20 Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA=E2=80=99s National Institute = of Food and=20 Agriculture (NIFA) will begin accepting applications today from=20 veterinarians wishing to participate in the Veterinary Medicine = Loan=20 Repayment Program (VMLRP), which addresses veterinary shortages in = rural=20 America by repaying the student loans of qualified veterinarians = in return=20 for their services in areas suffering from a lack of = veterinarians.

=E2=80=9CThe lack of adequate veterinary = services,=20 especially in the area of food animal medicine, creates hardships = for=20 producers and endangers livestock throughout rural = America,=E2=80=9D said Vilsack.=20 =E2=80=9CThis program will help alleviate the shortage of trained = professional=20 veterinarians that serve our producers, improving the health of = the=20 livestock industry and helping ensure a safe food = supply.=E2=80=9D

In return for a commitment of three years = of=20 veterinary services in a designated veterinary shortage area, NIFA = may=20 repay up to $25,000 of student loan debt per year. Loan = repayment=20 benefits are limited to payments of the principal and interest on=20 government and commercial loans received for the attendance at an=20 accredited college of veterinary medicine resulting in a degree of = Doctor=20 of Veterinary Medicine or the equivalent. NIFA applications = will be=20 due June 30, and offers will be made by September 30. NIFA = will host=20 four interactive webinars for applicants on May 4 at 10 a.m. and 4 = p.m.,=20 and May 12 at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Application forms and webinar=20 instructions can be found on the NIFA website.

NIFA recently designated more than 150 = shortage=20 areas throughout the United States. These areas were = nominated by=20 the chief animal health officials in each state and insular area = and by=20 appropriate federal animal health officials. Nomination forms were = reviewed by a panel of federal and state animal health experts who = recommended nominations for official designation as a veterinary = shortage=20 situation. A map of all the shortage areas is available on the NIFA=20 website.

Veterinarians are critical to the = national food=20 safety and food security infrastructures, and to the health and = well-being=20 of both animals and humans; however, major studies indicate = significant=20 and growing shortages of food supply veterinarians and = veterinarians=20 serving in certain other high priority specialty areas. A = leading=20 cause for this shortage is the heavy cost of four years of = professional=20 veterinary medical training, which can average between $130,000 = and=20 $140,000. Congress established the VMLRP as a way to remedy this = growing=20 need.

Through federal funding and leadership = for=20 research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on = investing in=20 science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives = and the=20 nation's future. For more information, visit http://www.nifa.usda.gov/. =

USDA is an equal = opportunity=20 provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of = discrimination,=20 write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence = Ave.,=20 S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272(voice), = or (202)=20 720-6382 (TDD).

Questions? = Comments?

Last = Updated: 04/28/2010