Due to budget constraints, no awards will be made to new or renewal applicants for the Veterinary Medicine Minority Forgivable Loan (VMMP) program for the 2018-19 year.
Program Overview:
The primary objective of this program is to provide educational opportunities to minority students who wish to pursue a Veterinary Medicine degree. VMMP awards will be made available, to the extent of appropriated funds, to persons seeking a Veterinary Medicine degree at Mississippi State University – College of Veterinary Medicine in exchange for employment in the State of Mississippi.
Rules and Regulations:
Important Dates:
Application Dates: October 1 – March 31
Document deadline: April 30, except the Letter of Acceptance, which can be submitted through June 30.
Awards are made on a first-come, first-served basis, as funding is available. However, priority is given to eligible renewal applicants.
Eligibility Requirements:
You are eligible if all the following apply:
- Be a legal resident of the State of Mississippi for one year prior to application.
- Be fully admitted to the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University and enroll full-time.
- Be classified as a minority student by the Registrar’s Office at Mississippi State University.
- Make satisfactory academic progress to maintain eligibility.
- Be in good standing on any prior federal, state, or local educational loan.
Award Amount and Length of Eligibility:
- VMMP awards up to the cost of tuition for a maximum of four (4) years.
Post Graduate Training:
- Post-graduate training in Veterinary Medicine must be taken at an accredited institution and may not exceed four (4) years.
Service Obligation:
- VMMP is first and foremost a loan. The loan can be forgiven (discharged) on the basis of one year’s service for one year of loan received. Service is defined as full-time employment in Mississippi as a veterinarian.
- LIABILITY: Forgivable loan recipients who choose not to fulfill the service obligation will be required to repay the loan in full with interest.
To Apply:
- Complete the online application. The online application must be completed each and every academic year for which the applicant seeks aid.
- New applicants (those who have not previously received a VMMP award) must submit an official letter of acceptance from the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
- New applicants must submit an official statement from the Registrar’s Office at Mississippi State University classifying the applicant as a minority student.
- New applicants and some renewal applicants with a break in enrollment will be required to submit two forms of residency documentation:
Preferred Residency Documents:
- FAFSA
- Mississippi driver’s license (can be submitted electronically during the online application)
Alternate Residency Documents Accepted:
- State Tax Return (NOT Federal) for the current tax filing year.
- Homestead Exemption
- Voter Registration
- Vehicle Registration
Note: Our office receives FAFSA results electronically for all Mississippi residents. When possible, the state tax return or Mississippi driver’s license pending document will be replaced by the FAFSA.
Documents must be RECEIVED, not postmarked, by the published document deadline date of April 30.
How to Submit Supporting Documents
After the Application – the VMMP Award Process:
- If funding is available, the Office will make award offers as soon as possible after receiving an appropriation, but no later than mid-June.
- To accept an award, new applicants must sign a Master Contract and Note, which includes the program Rules and Regulations. The contract will be signed electronically.
- New and renewal applicants must sign a Private Loan Self-Certification Form every year for which the applicant receives funds. The self-certification form must be signed with pen and returned in hard-copy.
- When the Contract and Self-certification form have been received, the Office will notify the student’s attending institution that the student has been awarded.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- The VMMP program requires a copy of my letter of acceptance into a Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. It is my understanding from the school that notice of acceptance will not be forwarded to me until after the April 30 deadline. What should I do?
The only exception to the document deadline is the letter of acceptance, which will be accepted through June 30. - Is VMMP available to me for summer school?
No. VMMP is available during the regular academic year only. - What if I drop below full-time enrollment during a semester?
A student must maintain full-time enrollment. If a student drops below full-time status during a semester or trimester of the academic year, that student is ineligible to receive funds during the next semester or trimester of full-time enrollment of a regular academic year. - Why must I reapply every year?
Current legislation requires “…the board shall create a renewal application for each student who received the award for one or more terms during the immediately preceding academic year.” At a minimum, a student must file the following renewal document no later than the close of business on the deadline date: online application. - What happens if I fail, withdraw, or have to repeat a year?
Recipients who fail, withdraw, or have to repeat any year are suspended from participation in the program and awards are stopped until such time as the proper official at the institution informs the Board the recipient is ready to advance. - Will I be eligible to defer employment to complete post-graduate training?
Post-graduate training must be taken at an accredited institution and shall not exceed four (4) years. - As a recipient of VMMP, I have a contractual obligation to work in veterinary medicine in Mississippi after graduation. What if I am unable to find a job immediately after graduation?
All recipients are eligible for a one-year (12-month) grace period while seeking employment. After one year, recipients must submit documentation of proper employment or start making payments to repay the loan. - How do I submit supporting documents to the Office of Student Financial Aid?
How to Submit Supporting Documents
