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CDFA-AUS • 1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 • 916-576-0300California Veterinary Shortage Needs
The VMLRP application period for 2025 is now on hold.
Notice
(as of September 2, 2025)
Due to some process changes, USDA NIFA has halted the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. No new applications were accepted in January 2025 as originally planned. Similarly, no new county nominations from State Animal Health Officials will be accepted in 2025.
Pending appropriations, the next VMLRP cycle is anticipated to resume in December 2025 (federal FY 2026). The FY 2026 Request for Applications (RFA) will proceed in December 2025 utilizing previously submitted county nominations from FY 2024. The next opportunity to submit updated county nominations is anticipated to be in Fall 2026 for FY 2027.
Please follow updates at USDA NIFA’s VMLRP News and Timeline website. Check back for updates or subscribe to NIFA Funding Opportunities for email updates as they happen.
Are you a veterinarian looking for veterinary education loan repayment help? If so, jump to the VMLRP section below. | |
Are you a veterinarian looking for financial assistance in your practice that will serve a veterinary shortage area? If so, jump to the VSGP section below. |
Nominate your area!
You can help guide CDFA’s efforts to nominate veterinary shortage areas for USDA’s Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP). The program helps qualified veterinarians offset a significant portion of the debt incurred in pursuit of their veterinary medicine degrees in return for their service in certain high-priority veterinary shortage situations.

Nominations for veterinary shortage areas from within California are expected to open in Fall 2026 for grants to be awarded in 2027. CDFA does keep an “interested county” list, so please contact us by email at cdfa_aus@cdfa.ca.gov if you are aware of shortages in your county. To make a nomination, please fill out the CDFA Nomination Survey and recommend your area for nomination to the CA State Veterinarian*. The State Veterinarian reviews nominations submitted from local areas, regions or counties, and puts forward up to 8 nominations to the VMLRP program.
* Note: Nominating a shortage area to CDFA does not guarantee selection by the NIFA review committee.
VMLRP - USDA NIFA Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program
USDA NIFA – Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) is expected to resume the application process in January 2026. This program helps qualified veterinarians offset a portion of the debt incurred in pursuit of their veterinary medicine degrees (previously $25,000 per year, up to $75,000 per contract; exact amount for upcoming cycle to be announced with application process) in return for 3 years of service in certain high-priority veterinary shortage situations. To view the designated shortage areas in California, please click here.
There are 3 categories of service shortages:

In order to receive this assistance, awardees will have to provide proof of service in the area, and funding may only be used to help alleviate veterinary school debt.
VSGP - USDA NIFA Veterinary Services Grant Program
USDA NIFA – Veterinary Services Grant Program is expected to resume applications in 2026, pending appropriations. Currently, funds will be distributed to current projects or previously reviewed, but unfunded, proposals. VSGP is designed to support practice enhancement initiatives, as well as education and extension activities, that will enable veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and veterinary technician students to gain specialized skills and provide practices with additional resources needed to more effectively mitigate veterinary service shortages in the United States. This program works hand-in-hand with the VMLRP in providing support funds for practices needing help, but without the limitation of solely funding educational loans. Previous awardees have used funds for expanding their practice, such as supplying veterinary offices with necessary equipment, sharing in reasonable directs costs of operating a qualifying veterinary practice, or establishing mobile veterinary facilities. For further information about applying, please click here.
Important dates to remember!
2026
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January 2026USDA NIFA Veterinary Medical Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) is expected to open for applications. Designated Shortage Situations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 have already been allocated as shortage areas chosen in the 2024 nomination cycle and have already been posted. Veterinarians may apply to fulfill these shortage needs through VMLRP or VSGP. Note: It is strongly recommended for applicants to register early (at least 5 weeks before the application deadline) with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. |
2026
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February 2026USDA NIFA Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) is expected to be open for applications. |
2026
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Spring 2026USDA VMLRP and VSGP application period for FY 2026 closes. Please note that the VMLRP deadline is anticipated to be in April 2026, and that the deadline for VSGP is expected to be in March 2026 (exact dates to be announced in January or February 2026). For additional application deadlines, please visit the USDA NIFA VMLRP website and the USDA NIFA VSGP website. |
2026
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Fall 2026USDA VMLRP FY 2027 Shortage Situation Nominations are expected to open for county designations. In the interim, CDFA does keep an "interested county" list, so please contact us by email at cdfa_aus@cdfa.ca.gov if you are aware of shortages in your county. To make an official nomination, fill out the CDFA Nomination Survey to make your recommendation to the State Veterinarian. CDFA Nomination Surveys can be completed online or emailed to the CDFA AUS program for CDFA’s consideration for nomination to USDA. |
2026
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September 2026Once the USDA VMLRP FY 2026 Shortage Situation nomination period closes, CDFA will continue to accept Nomination Surveys for the next nomination period on an ongoing basis. The next CDFA Nomination Survey period will close at the end of September 2026. Fill out the CDFA Nomination Survey to recommend your area for Nomination to the CA State Veterinarian*. CDFA Nomination Surveys can be completed online or emailed to the CDFA AUS program for CDFA's consideration for nomination to USDA for the upcoming fiscal year. The deadline for the 2026 nomination cycle will be September 30, 2026.
Note: Nominating a shortage area to CDFA does not guarantee selection by the NIFA review committee.
![]() For more information on VMLRP Shortage Situations, visit the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture website. |
Frequently Asked Questions
As the State Veterinarian is responsible for gathering and composing the application, we are seeking information from county and local representatives who know their regions better than we do.
The State Veterinarian reviews nominations submitted from local areas, regions or counties, and puts forward up to 8 nominations to the VMLRP program. USDA’s VMLRP program reviews applications nationwide and makes the selections. States, including California, have no role in the actual selection process.