Pay it Forward Scholarship Program

Scholarships for veterinary students pursuing veterinary medicine careers.

scholarship program n.wright

What is the program?

Every year the PVF and PVF/PVMA award substantial student scholarships to veterinary students and CVT students. Last year we awarded three $5,000 veterinary student scholarships and two $1,000 CVT scholarships. These scholarships help to decrease the financial burden that plagues veterinary students each year. It is not a joke when people say that VMD stands for Very Much in Debt. But it is not just Pennsylvania, the cost of attending veterinary school is continuing to escalate. The average debt load for a veterinary student is $150,000. It is exponentially more expensive than it was 25 years ago.The debt that most students accumulate will follow them for 30 years or more. It will impact every financial decision they make:

What job should I take?
What is the pay?
What are the benefits?
Can I buy a car?
Can I buy a house?
Can I start a family?

It is our goal to help lighten the load by granting scholarships each year to Pennsylvania residents pursuing veterinary careers. Contributions to this fund is indeed an investment in the future of the veterinary profession and a way of supporting someone else with the same passion that you have for helping animals and people.

What scholarships do we offer?

2018 Scholarships

This year, PVF was pleased to approve scholarships $17,000 for the following students based on academic performance, community service and leadership, aspirations and goals, and student debt load. Congratulations to this talented, inspiring group of individuals on being selected for this year's scholarship awards!

Name	School/College/University	Amount	Scholarship Type
Amy Kraus	University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine	$5,000	PVF/PVMA Young Leadership Scholarship
Lauren Unger	Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University	$5,000	PVF/PVMA Young Leadership Scholarship
Amber Walker	Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine	$5,000	Need-Based Scholarship
Sarah Gleason	Harcum College, Veterinary Technology Program	$1,000	Veterinary Technology Scholarship
Samantha Peterson	Northampton Community College, Veterinary Technician Program	$1,000	Veterinary Technology Scholarship
		$17,000

Testimonials

Amy Kraus

PVF/PVMA Young Veterinary Leadership Scholarship Recipient

I am honored to be awarded the 2018 PVMA/PVF Young Leader Scholarship! This scholarship will allow me to receive advanced training in dairy production medicine during my 4th year of veterinary school. Throughout my education, veterinarians from Pennsylvania have supported my goal to become a veterinarian through externships, mentorship, and scholarship funds. After I graduate, I hope to give back to my community by serving dairy farmers that are working hard to keep the milk supply safe and nutritious. Thank you PVMA and PVF for supporting my education!

Lauren Ungar

PVF/PVMA Young Leadership Scholarship

I am so thankful to have been chosen as a 2018 recipient of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Foundation Veterinary Scholarship! My first experiences in veterinary medicine were at the Western PA Humane Society and I still have a strong connection to the Pennsylvania Veterinary community even as I attend veterinary school at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, MA. This scholarship will not only lighten the financial burden of veterinary school, but will also allow me to return to Pennsylvania for externships during my 4th year. I am so grateful to the PAVMA and PVF, and hope to become involved with the PAVMA in the future and help the future generations of veterinary students achieve their goals.

Amber Walker

PVF Scholarship

I have lived in Pennsylvania for my entire life, and I am truly honored to receive this scholarship from the Pennsylvania Veterinary Foundation. I appreciate this scholarship because it will significantly help decrease my student loan debt after graduation. Animal rescue has been a constant presence in my life, which I why I chose to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Ultimately, I would one day like to provide low-cost veterinary care to underprivileged areas, but the cost of a veterinary education makes this goal challenging. I am grateful that this scholarship will help me achieve this goal sooner.

About Animal Care PA

The Pennsylvania Veterinary Foundation (PVF), d/b/a Animal Care PA, was established in 1983, and serves as the charitable arm of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association but functions as an independent Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation and is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization. The mission of Animal Care PA is to help caring people help animals by bridging the gap through our animal welfare initiatives like The Last Chance Program and Henry's Helping Paws Program as well as funding Veterinary Student Scholarships.

Animal Care PA | 8574 Paxton Street, Hummelstown, PA 17036 | Phone: 888.550.7862 | Fax: 717.550.1461