Animal health groups ask Congress to preserve Public Service Loan Forgiveness

March 2019

Written by:

Graham Garrison is an editor and writer with experience in business and trade publications across several industries. He has worked for Veterinary Advantage since 2009.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and 124 other animal health groups submitted a letter asking the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor to protect and preserve Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).

The letter notes that nonprofits, federal agencies and state governments rely on animal health professionals to perform critical tasks such as ensuring safety of the U.S. meat supply, monitoring and preventing the spread of dangerous diseases such as rabies or avian influenza, caring for animals in zoos and aquariums, treating military and working dogs, and preserving wildlife habitats.

Many of these animal health professionals – including veterinarians, animal scientists, dairy scientists, equine scientists, poultry scientists, marine biologists, zoologists, animal nutritionists, epidemiologists, pathologists, ecologists and veterinary technicians – incur significant debt to receive the education necessary for their careers.

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