Wisconsin’s shortage of rural veterinarians could be alleviated by a program that aids students of veterinary medicine with their educational loans.

Initiated in 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Medical Loan Repayment Program has given veterinarians who choose to work in rural areas an annual $25,000 in loan repayment for three years.

The funding for the program comes from federal funds, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection spokesperson Raechelle Cline said. She said doctors who commit to working in rural areas also receive some federal tax benefits.

Six regions in Wisconsin — predominantly rural regions — currently suffer from veterinarian shortages. This is partly due to vets being lured by higher salary opportunities in urban areas, combined with a demand in rural regions for specialties that require more advanced training, Cline said.

Most veterinary school students graduate with an average debt of $135,000, Cline said.

Lynn Maki, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine associate dean for student academic affairs, said the program would be helpful for current veterinary medicine students who are worried about educational debt. She said the program helps them find places to work in Wisconsin while also making sure that they repay their debt.

The program would also be beneficial for pre-veterinary and undergraduate students who are thinking of applying to vet school. She said some students are very nervous about debt and this would encourage them to continue their professional education and give them financial support beyond educational loans and scholarships.

“I think it’s a positive piece,” Maki said. “It gives our students one more option in terms of paying back their loans and helping them to consider veterinarian medicine as a career path.”

USDA is accepting applications for their 2016 Veterinary Medical Loan Repayment Program until May 20.