USDA’s Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), authorized by the National Veterinary Medical Services Act (NVMSA) helps qualified veterinarians offset a significant portion of the debt incurred from receiving their veterinary medicine degrees in return for their service in certain high-priority veterinary shortage situations.
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will carry out NVMSA by entering into educational loan repayment agreements with veterinarians who agree to provide veterinary services in veterinarian shortage situations for a determined period of time. If you commit to at least three years to providing veterinary services in a designated veterinary shortage area, NIFA may repay up to $40,000 of your student loan debt per year. Loan repayment benefits are limited to payments of the principal and interest on government and commercial loans you received for the attendance at an accredited college of veterinary medicine resulting in a degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or the equivalent.
The VMLRP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is a formal statement that invites applications for a fiscal year (FY). Specific application requirements are detailed in the NOFO.
If you are an applicant or someone who is interested in applying, you should become familiar with the sections below.
The designated Veterinarian Shortage Situations map contains all shortage situation designations for a given fiscal year (FY) application cycle.
VMLRP Timeline
Dates listed below are subject to change in relation to unforeseen circumstances or administrative changes.
| Tasks | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shortage Nomination Webinar | Not Applicable | Pre-Recorded: Click here to view | September 2027 |
| Shortage Nomination Cycle Opens | September 22, 2025 | October 5, 2026 | October 2027 |
| Shortage Nomination Cycle Closed | November 7, 2025 | November 2, 2026 | November 2027 |
| Shortage Situation Areas Posted | January 5, 2026 | February 2027 | February 2028 |
| Application Period Opens | January 13, 2026 | February 2027 | February 2028 |
| Technical Assistance Webinar | February 3, 2026 from 3:30 - 4:30 PM EST: | March 2027 | March 2028 |
| Letter of Intent Deadline | February 19, 2026 | April 2027 | April 2028 |
| Application Period Closes | March 5, 2026 | April 2027 | April 2028 |
| VMLRP Awards Offered | September 30, 2026 | September 30, 2027 | September 30, 2028 |
| VMLRP Service Agreement Begins | January 1, 2027 | January 1, 2028 | January 1, 2029 |
Contact Information
The VMLRP will pay up to $40,000 each year towards qualified educational loans of eligible veterinarians who agree to serve in a NIFA-designated veterinarian shortage situation for a period of three years.
- General Program and Application Questions Contact: vmlrp.applications@usda.gov
- Financial and Award Administrative Questions Contact: vmlrp@usda.gov
Disclaimer
Some web pages may offer links to other Internet sites (outside USDA) for convenience to visitors interested in obtaining additional information about the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program. NIFA and USDA are not responsible for the availability or content of these external sites, nor do NIFA and USDA endorse, warrant, or guarantee the products, services, or information described or offered at these external Internet sites.
For information on another program addressing veterinary shortages, visit the Veterinary Services Grant Program.