The U.S. Department of Agriculture has determined that nearly every U.S. state has at least one rural or livestock-producing region lacking adequate veterinary services. An interactive map with detailed information about which counties are affected is available here. The Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) and the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) were developed over a decade ago to mitigate veterinarian shortages. In this article, we’ll discuss the goals and current status of these two programs, as well as the newly announced Rural Veterinary Action Plan (RVAP).
Veterinary Services Grant Program
The VSGP’s goal is to relieve veterinarian shortage situations and support veterinary services. It was authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, receiving $2.5 million in funding for the 2016 fiscal year. Now, the VSGP typically receives $4 million in annual funding.
The VSGP offers two types of grants for VSGP: Education, Extension, and Training (EET) and Rural Practice Enhancement (RPE). EET grants are available on a competitive basis to qualified entities to develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services through education, training, recruitment, placement, and retention of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and students of veterinary medicine and veterinary technology. RPE grants are designed to “establish or expand veterinary practices in rural areas by equipping veterinary offices; sharing in overhead costs; and/or establishing mobile veterinary facilities in which a portion of the facilities will address education or extension needs.” Applicants for RPE grants propose to provide services in rural VMLRP-designated veterinary shortage areas, with three years of service required if a grant is received.
In the past, VSGP grants were awarded annually to universities and veterinary practices working to address shortages of food animal veterinary services across the nation. In 2024, the program issued 25 grants totaling $3.8 million. In fiscal year 2025, the program did not issue a request for applications. However, if appropriations for the program are made for fiscal year 2026, the application process and presentation of these grants will resume.
Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program
The VMLRP is an educational loan repayment program for veterinarians who have existing veterinary educational debt. VMLRP award recipients provide agricultural (i.e., food and fiber-producing) animal veterinary services in a designated veterinary shortage situation area for three years in exchange for $25,000 in annual loan repayment funds. On average, VMLRP receives about 150 applications and issues approximately 90 awards each year. However, the number of awards changes with each funding cycle based on the amount of appropriated funds each fiscal year.
In 2025, the freeze on all federal grants caused VSGP applications to be paused. However, the VMLRP recently announced it will open a request for applications in December. The program will allocate funds from 2025 and 2026 toward the new grants and will offer a streamlined application process.
Rural Veterinary Action Plan
The newly announced Rural Veterinary Action Plan (RVAP) aims to shape the future of rural veterinary medicine. According to the RVAP document, the USDA plans to:
- Enhance and streamline veterinary grant programs.
- Analyze rural veterinary shortages to better understand the need.
- Recruit and retain USDA veterinarians.
- Catalog federal resources available to veterinarians for starting a practice.
- Work with stakeholders, including veterinary schools, to understand the barriers to entry and increase recruitment from rural areas.
Final Thoughts
This recognition of the value of rural veterinarians and the ongoing efforts to support and recruit them are welcome steps toward strengthening the health of our nation’s animals.
Related Reading
- Staying Ahead of the Curve: Navigating Legislation Affecting the Veterinary Profession
- The Complexities of Rural Equine Practice
- AVMA Rural Veterinary Workforce Priorities Reflected in New USDA Plan
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