VIN Foundation launches new student debt tool

The VIN Foundation, a nonprofit arm of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) that provides veterinarians and veterinary students with resources and tools, recently launched its Student Debt Center. According to a release from the foundation, the mobile-friendly website is a go-to resource for all things student debt.

With veterinarians facing debt loads that are regularly double their incomes, the impetus behind the Student Debt Center is no mystery. Wading through loans and debt, on the other hand, can be much murkier.

“Helping veterinarians understand their borrowing and loan repayment options is key to surviving the crisis,” says Toney Bartels, DVM, MBA, VIN student debt expert. “It starts before veterinary school and continues for the duration of loan repayment; this is where the VIN Foundation can help our colleagues climb, survive and thrive no matter how high their debt load.”

The Student Debt Center is divided into three main sections:

The Cost of Education Map shows how much four years of veterinary school costs by state, differentiating between in-state and out-of-state tuition, and factors in living expenses.

The Student Loan Repayment Simulator is an interactive tool that uses a veterinary student's family information, anticipated income, loan amount and repayment plan to generate repayment cost comparisons.

WikiDebt is an online library of veterinary educational debt resources, including student loan FAQs and worksheets.