Rural Veterinary Education Loan Repayment Program
Veterinarians - veterinary education loan repayment council - designation of veterinary shortage areas - eligibility - fund transfer. The act creates a 5-member state veterinary education loan repayment council (council) in Colorado state university's college of veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences. The council administers the veterinary education loan repayment program (program) by use of funds from the veterinary education loan repayment fund (fund), which program and fund are also created in the act. Through the program, the council provides veterinary education loan repayments from the fund to eligible veterinarians who:
- Have graduated from an accredited doctor of veterinary medicine school;
- Currently live in Colorado or, at some point, have lived in Colorado for at least 3 years; and
- Agree to practice veterinary medicine for up to 4 years in a rural area of the state that is experiencing a shortage of veterinarians that the council designates for participation in the program.
To implement the program, the council enters into a contract with an eligible veterinarian and the rural area of the state in which the veterinarian will practice veterinary medicine.
On September 1, 2017, $140,000 is transferred from the general fund to the fund to implement the program.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)