Up to $75,000 in Loan Repayment for GA Shelter Medicine Vets

Veterinarians performing spay/neuter surgery

We’re excited to share an important outcome of Georgia Pet Coalition’s advocacy: Georgia has rolled out a veterinary education loan repayment program specifically designed to help address the shortage of veterinarians serving shelters, nonprofit spay/neuter programs, and underserved communities.

Thanks to the leadership of Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick and the advocacy of the Georgia Pet Coalition, SB 20 was enacted in 2025, adding this new Track to Georgia’s existing Veterinary Education Loan Repayment Program.

Now it’s time to put it to work.

Under O.C.G.A. 20-3-518.8 et seq., the 2027 Veterinary Education Loan Repayment Program offers eligible veterinarians up to $75,000 in educational loan repayment in exchange for a three-year commitment to full-time veterinary practice in shelter medicine or nonprofit sterilization services in underserved settings.

Awards are issued through a loan purchase agreement with the State Veterinary Education Board. Two tracks are available:

Shelter Medicine Veterinarians

• Commit 40 hours per week in a declared area of need

• Up to $25,000 per 12 months of service

• Maximum of $75,000 over the three-year program

• Underserved communities can be rural or urban

Food Animal Veterinarians

• Commit at least 20 hours per week in a declared area of need

• Up to $30,000 per 12 months of service

• Maximum of $90,000 over the three-year program

• Mixed animal practices are eligible as long as the 20 hours per week requirement for food animals is met

Click here to apply through the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Note that the application deadline is November 2, 2026.

Know a veterinarian who could qualify? Please share this opportunity!