Senate earmarks funds for student-loan relief
washington - A currently nonfunctional federal program aimed at helping veterinarians who work in underserved areas repay their students loans soon may have the funding and rules necessary to go into effect.
WASHINGTON — A currently nonfunctional federal program aimed at helping veterinarians who work in underserved areas repay their students loans soon may have the funding and rules necessary to go into effect.
A $5 million appropriation was earmarked for the National Veterinary Medical Service Act (NVMSA) on the Senate's July 17 agricultural appropriations bill.
The NVMSA was enacted in December 2003 and is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, since the USDA has yet to write rules for the program, it's been nonfunctional and the Bush Administration had not requested any funding.
When the farm bill was passed in May 2008, it included a provision that requires the USDA to write rules for the program within one year.
