Source: Nebraska Public Media
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has launched the Nebraska Rural Veterinary Grant Program to address the state’s shortage of livestock veterinarians. The initiative offers up to $150,000 to 13 recent Veterinary graduates who commit to practicing in rural Nebraska, with at least 80% of their work focused on livestock. Recipients must remain in rural practice for eight years. The program is open to graduates nationwide and aims to ease recruitment struggles in rural areas, especially as current veterinarians retire.
Labor Commissioner Katie Thurber said selection will prioritize applicants’ dedication to production animal health and rural service. This new effort complements Pillen’s earlier Elite 11 Program, which covers tuition for Nebraska residents pursuing Veterinary degrees, also with an eight-year rural service requirement. Pillen, a veterinarian himself, emphasized the urgency, stating Nebraska needs 10 to 12 new vets to sustain rural care. “Cattle is king in Nebraska,” he said. “We’re responding to a really important issue.”