Ag Animal Health Newsletter, Winter 2026

Eight Holstein cows in a snowy field.

From the editor

We’re running a little behind schedule for this newsletter but there’s good reason for it. We decided to wait until the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) came out for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program. It has and the letter of intent deadline is February 19 with the application due on March 5. The NOFO provides all the details for anyone interested in applying including agency contacts for questions.

That said, I wanted to highlight a few updates to the previous FY2024 NOFO.

  1. The maximum award amount has been increased to $40,000 per year for 3 years with an additional payment of $15,600 per year to cover tax liability, for a total maximum award of $166,800: $120,000 for loan repayment and $46,800 for tax liability.
  2. VMLRP applications are to be submitted through the online cloud-based platform, Box.com. After NIFA receives a letter of intent (LOI) from an interested applicant, an individualized folder will be created for the applicant to upload their application to Box.com.
  3. There is new guidance on the professional narrative content and structure for new and renewal applicants.
  4. There are updated evaluation criteria for new and renewal applicants.
  5. Renewal applications will be accepted from those with a previous VMLRP agreement start date of January 1, 2022, January 1, 2023, or January 1, 2024. This is an exception from the traditional 2 years of eligibility to ensure those that were unable to apply to the FY 2025 NOFO have an opportunity to renew.
  6. Applicants will need to attest that they have loans meeting the minimum debt threshold of $15,000 in their initial Letter of Intent. Loan documentation will only be required when an applicant is recommended for an award.

It’s also worth noting that the Veterinary Services Grant Program NOFO is also available now. The Rural Practice Enhancement (RPE) grants offered within this program are for establishing or expanding veterinary practices by equipping veterinary offices, sharing in overhead costs, and/or establishing mobile veterinary facilities in which a portion of the facilities will address education or extension needs. The closing date for this cycle is Thursday, April 16th and the awards can range from $75,000-$300,000.

Other than that, I want to mention that the WSU CVM Veterinary Medicine Extension gang will be heading out on our annual “Extension Road Show” starting Wednesday, February 4 in Burlington WA, followed by meetings in Sunnyside WA (Thursday, Feb 5), Twin Falls ID (Wednesday, Feb 11), and Nampa ID (Thursday, Feb 12).  We use these meetings as an opportunity to catch everyone up on our various projects over the past year and to look for inspiration moving forward. If you’re interested in joining us and haven’t seen an invite come your way please reach out to our Vet Med Extension coordinator, Katy Heaton. On a similar note, our colleagues at the University of Idaho will be hosting a “Dairy Calf Nutrition Workshop and Lunch” on Monday, February 16 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. at Bon Vinos Bistro & Bakery, Sunnyside, WA. Lunch will be provided. If you’re interested, please reply to jdalton@uidaho.edu before February 9 to reserve a space. Hopefully we’ll get the chance to connect with many of you in the coming days!