VetPartners to offer £500K in bursaries to students

VetPartners has unveiled a five-year package of bursaries of more than £500k to support a total 75 students to study veterinary medicine at university.

The support has been offered to remove the financial barrier that prevents young people from pursuing a career as a vet due to high university costs, and will open up opportunities for students from lower income households to join the profession.

VetPartners will provide 15 bursaries a year, with each student receiving £1,500-a-year for the full duration of their five years at vet school. Graduates will then be offered roles in VetPartners’ practices across the UK.

Applicants must already have a university place, and bursaries will be awarded to those whose household income falls below a certain amount.

VetPartners said it hopes the initiative will encourage greater diversity in the profession and make a difference to students who otherwise would struggle to meet the cost of course fees, accommodation and living expenses, as well as EMS.

Jo Malone, VetPartners CEO, said: “We want to create opportunities for more people to go to vet school if that is their dream and not to have to worry about the financial burden.

“It’s hard enough to get into vet school but we risk losing out on fantastic vets if they can’t afford to go to university or enter the profession with 10s of thousands of pounds of debt. We need great communicators from different socio-economic backgrounds who want to develop thriving careers and not leave the profession.”

Rob Williams, VetPartners head of Talent, added: “We have put a support package together for people from backgrounds that are under-represented in the veterinary profession and we will target the most deserving students for support.

“This is one way VetPartners can support students from widening participation backgrounds, and hopefully enrich the profession because there is a perception that it is a white, middle-class profession.”