Dr Conrad And Judy Schmidt Support Debt Relief for Swine Veterinarians

Two Programs Offer Financial Support for Early Swine Veterinarians

• Bonnie Johnson
• November 26, 2025
• Media Article

The AASV Foundation is offering two student debt relief programs for early-career swine veterinarians. A total of twelve $7500 grants will be awarded at the 2026 AASV Annual Meeting.

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The AASV Foundation is offering two important student-debt relief opportunities to help early-career swine veterinarians. These programs aim to support members who work in the swine industry and face financial pressure from education loans.
 

Applications for both programs are due on December 1, and a total of twelve grants worth $7500 each will be awarded during the 2026 AASV Annual Meeting.
 

The first opportunity is the Dr. Conrad and Judy Schmidt Family Student Debt-Relief Scholarship. This scholarship first began in 2019 and continues to help young veterinarians. In 2026, the Foundation will award two scholarships to eligible AASV members.
 

These members must be two to five years out of veterinary school, graduating in 2021, 2022, or 2023. They must work in private practice with at least 50 percent of their work devoted to swine, providing on-farm service to independent pork producers. Eligible members must also have joined AASV as students and attended the AASV Annual Meeting while they were in school.
 

The second opportunity is the AASVF/Zoetis Foundation Student Debt-Relief Grant Program. This grant partnership is now in its third year. Ten grants worth $7500 each will support AASV members who work in the swine industry. These members may work in private practice, production companies, universities, or pharmaceutical companies.
 

To qualify, applicants must have graduated from an AVMA-accredited veterinary college between 2016 and 2023. They also must have joined AASV as a student and devoted at least 50 percent of their career to swine since graduation.
 

Members who qualify for the Schmidt scholarship automatically qualify for the Zoetis Foundation program as well. One application is used to review eligibility for both opportunities. Previous recipients of either award are listed on the AASV Foundation website and cannot apply again.
 

Eligible members can apply by completing the form available at aasv.org/foundation/swine-veterinarians/debt-relief-grants/. The names of the scholarship and grant recipients will be announced at the 2026 AASV Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada.
 

Photo by: www.aasv.org