Nebraska Rural Veterinarian Grant Program

The Nebraska Rural Veterinarian Grant Program aims to address the critical shortage of production animal veterinarians in rural Nebraska. Offered by the Nebraska Department of Labor, this initiative provides financial grants of up to $150,000 to recent veterinary graduates or new practitioners who commit to practicing in rural areas. Eligible applicants must secure a job offer in a rural county and demonstrate a long-term commitment to serving the community, thereby enhancing local veterinary services and supporting agricultural health.

Meets the needs of businesses by creating a comprehensive, community-based system of building a highly skilled workforce and a competitive state economy.Coordinates workforce development efforts to maximize the effectiveness of programs through workforce investment boards, advisory councils and partnerships with education, private-sector business and local governmental agencies.Matches eligible workers with jobs and provides support services to assist citizens in finding and retaining gainful employment.Administers unemployment tax and compensation programs.Provides universal access to an integrated array of labor market information and employment and training services through NEworks.nebraska.gov.Assists employers, employees and the general public through labor standards programs.Conducts inspections as required by law through various safety programs.
The need for production animal veterinarians in Nebraska is undeniable. To grow the Nebraska production animal veterinarian workforce, the Nebraska Department of Labor seeks to implement the Nebraska Production Animal Rural Veterinarian Grant Program. The Nebraska Production Animal Rural Veterinarian Grant Program is a grant program for recent graduates of veterinarian schools or new practicing veterinarians moving to the State of Nebraska that are seeking to establish or join a production animal veterinary practice in rural Nebraska.
The program offers financial grants to veterinarians who have accepted a job offer to practice in rural Nebraska on or after January 1, 2025. Rural Nebraska means any county in Nebraska with a population of less than 40,000 people. As of 2025, there are 88 rural counties in Nebraska.Under the Grant Program, up to thirteen (13) new entrants to a production animal health veterinary practice in rural Nebraska may be selected to receive a $150,000 grant from the Nebraska Department of Labor. The total amount of grant funds awarded under the Grant Program shall be no more than $1,950,000. The grant shall be paid in full at the end of eight consecutive successful years of meeting all requirements. Candidates must demonstrate a passion for production animal health and relevant experience. Recipients will be required to report to the Nebraska Department of Labor annually and agree to specific program conditions.

Eligibility

To qualify, applicants must:Have a doctorate in veterinary medicine and be licensed to practice in NebraskaCommit to residing and practicing in Nebraska for eight yearsHave secured a position within the last year in a rural Nebraska county veterinary clinic that dedicates a minimum of 80% of its hours to production animals, ORHave established a new practice in a rural Nebraska county that meets the same requirement. Rural Nebraska county is any Nebraska county with a population of less than 40,000.

Ineligibility

Nebraska's Elite 11 scholarship recipients are excluded from applying for this grant program.