Act Now: Texas Seeks Nominations for Rural Veterinary Shortage Areas—Get Up to $25K Loan Repayment
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) is now accepting nominations for geographic areas in Texas experiencing a shortage of veterinarians in food animal medicine, rural private practice, or public practice. This initiative is part of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), which helps address veterinary shortages by offering loan repayment incentives in exchange for service.
Nominations must be submitted before October 31, 2024, and those submitting are required to notify TAHC of their intent to nominate beforehand.
The VMLRP provides up to $25,000 per year in student loan repayment for veterinarians serving in designated shortage areas. The program seeks to fill veterinary gaps in three key areas:
Food Supply Veterinary Medicine (Type I): Veterinarians who dedicate at least 80% of their time to food animals.
Rural Food Supply Veterinary Medicine (Type II): Veterinarians providing at least 30% of their services to food animals in rural areas with populations under 50,000.
Public Service Practice (Type III): Veterinarians working in public institutions, regulatory roles, or food safety sectors.
Individuals who identify a potential shortage area can submit nominations to TAHC. If approved, these areas may attract veterinarians through loan repayment opportunities, strengthening the local veterinary workforce and supporting public health.
TAHC will assist with application submissions, ensuring that all nominations are complete before forwarding them to the USDA for review. Submissions should be made to Rex Wyatt at rex.wyatt@tahc.texas.gov.
For further details on the VMLRP and the nomination process, visit the program’s website or contact Rex Wyatt at the email above.
