20 Cool Veterinary Scholarships

Interested in becoming a veterinarian but looking for scholarships to help cover costs? You may not be alone. Students need to spend four years training at the graduate level and complete their clinical in hospitals and medical facilities to gain hands-on skills just to become a vet. There are only 29 colleges with accredited veterinary programs in the U.S., and the average in-state cost at a public veterinary school is $18,000 while out-of-state residents face tuition costs at $38,000, according to The New York Times. In fact, on average, veterinary students graduate with $125,000 in debt.

Scholarships, grants and other types of programs can help to offset these costs, and this is the reason we have put together this list of 25 cool veterinary scholarships for students who may be considering applying to veterinary schools. These scholarships are offered through a wide range of institutions, including Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) schools, veterinary foundations, and even the U.S. Army. They range from small to large amounts in award, but definitely can be a help to any student wanting to make tuition and fees more affordable and stave off the potentially overwhelming post-veterinary school debt. Vet tech students looking for scholarship opportunities can also turn to our list of “10 Vet Tech Scholarships” for suggestions. Otherwise, here is our list of 20 Cool Veterinary Scholarships.

Saul T. William Veterinary Scholarship, available through the University of Maryland, offers up to $5,000 a year for undergraduate students and up to $10,000 for those pursuing graduate level education. Recipients must agree to work for the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service during school breaks.

Pennsylvania Veterinary Foundation annually provides one or more scholarships to students based on demonstrated financial need as well as anticipated year of graduation. Recipients must be residents of Pennsylvania, but can be attending any vet school in the U.S. Nominations are made by deans of schools or veterinary colleges.

Tufts University, in Boston, has a number of endowed scholarships available to students in its Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Nearly 40 scholarships are offered, providing that students do meet the eligibility requirements, and include the “Cats Plain and Fancy” scholarship and the “George I. Alden” scholarship among many others.

Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) has 33 scholarships available through its Dr. Jack Walther award for students in DVM programs who show leadership skills, active involvement and long-term potential. Recipients receive a $1,000 award and registration, lodging and airfare to attend the 2015 WVC conference to be held in Las Vegas in 2015.

Ocean State Veterinary Specialists, in East Greenwich, R.I., offers a Compassionate Care scholarship to a veterinary student who shows interest and involvement in animal welfare, protection or rights and is either a first-, second- or third-year student. Preference is given to students who matriculated from a R.I. high school or college.

American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) offers third- or fourth-year veterinary students with a “keen” interest in cats the ability to apply for the $2,500 Winn Foundation Feline scholarship. Application guidelines can be found here.

College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, in Ithaca, N.Y., has more than 100 scholarships available to students enrolled in the school’s vet program. These range in opportunity for female students to vet students who have interest in equine science or even sheep. Veterinary classes as far back as 1929 and 1939 have also left endowments for providing scholarship opportunities.

Association for Women Veterinarians makes several $1,000 to $1,500 scholarships available each year to second- or third-year medical students attending veterinary school in the U.S. or Canada. Application deadlines are typically February of each year.

Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association (RIVMA) offers verterinary students a $1000 scholarship to apply toward completion of their senior year in veterinary school. Applicants must be graduates of a Rhode Island high school and have at least a 2.5 GPA.

American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) student members could be eligible for a $5,000 veterinary school scholarship after participating in the student seminar at the annual symposium and presenting a paper. Additional scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,500 each may also be available.

Zoetis Student Scholarship program, offered through the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, offers scholarship opportunities to outstanding second- and third-year veterinary students. In 2013, 288 individual scholarships were distributed through Zoetis, formerly the animal health branch for Pfizer.

Winners Circle Scholarship from The Race for Education makes scholarships of up to $5,000 available to students in their third year of veterinary school and intending to specialize in equine veterinary medicine. Interested applicants must apply through their chapter advisor.

Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) makes several scholarships available to full-time students who graduate from a Nebraska high school. These include the Dr. O.H. and Ruth Person Scholarship. Second-, third- or fourth-year students can apply for this scholarship, which starts at a minimum award of $250, but also need to submit three letters of recommendation.

Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine, in Corvallis, provides more than 50 scholarship opportunities to students enrolled in its DVM program. These are available to students for a variety of eligibility reasons including interest in small animal science, high academic achievement, leadership capabilities or financial need.

Nevada Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) offers $1,000 scholarships to Nevada residents as long as they are third- or fourth-year veterinary school students. A 250- to 275-word goal statement also needs to be submitted along with the application.

Ross University, in the West Indies, provides a $3,000 dean’s scholarships to first-year students in its veterinary program who have shown strong academic achievement and the ability to lead. Letters of recommendation and volunteer opportunities are among the criteria to be considered for award recipients.

Iowa State University, in Ames, provides numerous scholarships to students enrolled in its veterinary program. Criteria vary, depending upon the scholarship, but can include academic achievement, leadership, and financial need. More than $400,000 in award money is distributed annually.

New Jersey Federation of Dog Clubs, Inc. offers scholarships to New Jersey residents who are attending veterinary school. Two letters of reference are needed for application with details about any honors and veterinary-related activities potentially being advantageous.

North Dakota Veterinary Medical Association has veterinary scholarships available for students who have been accepted into or are actively enrolled in an accredited vet program in the U.S. Applicants must be a graduate of a North Dakota high school or a resident of the state two years prior to admission.

Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, in Mississippi State, Miss., provides approximately 40 scholarship opportunities to students enrolled in its veterinary program. This includes the “Clio and Poco Gentle Doctor Award,” the “Greenville Mississippi Kennel Club Scholarship” and the “Morgan Freeman Endowment for Veterinary Medicine” among many other available scholarships.