Minnesota Rural Veterinarian Loan Repayment Program

To qualify for this program, an applicant must:

• Agree to serve five years in an eligible position as a licensed veterinarian;
  • Service must be at least 50% involved with the care of food animals.
  • Service must be in a designated rural area in Minnesota defined as locations outside the counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington, excluding the cities of Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester and St. Cloud;
  • Service must be full-time (at least 30 hours per week for at least 45 weeks per year); and
• Be a current student or graduate of the Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine program at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota;
  • Current Student: must be in the final year of the program and meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress..
  • Graduate: must have graduated within 3 years of the application date.
• Have outstanding qualified educational loan debt borrowed for educational costs related to the undergraduate or graduate education of the veterinarian.

The 2026 application will be available from Monday, November 3rd, 2025 to Monday, January 26, 2026. 

An applicant selected to receive an award must sign a contract agreeing to serve five years in a designated rural area in Minnesota and at least 50 percent of the veterinarian's service must involve the care of food animals.

Annual awards are up to $15,000 for a total of up to $75,000 over 5 years.