HSVMA Compassionate Care Veterinary Student Scholarships

HSVMA is pleased to announce the 2024 Compassionate Care Veterinary Student Scholarships. This year, five $10,000 scholarships will be awarded to students who are currently in their first, second and third years at an AVMA-accredited veterinary school in the US, Canada, the Caribbean, or the UK. The scholarships will be awarded to veterinary students who (1) demonstrate an interest in animal welfare, animal rights, or animal protection issues and (2) represent a commitment to equitable access and inclusion in veterinary medicine via service or lived experience.  

HSVMA’s mission is to use its expertise and resources to advance animal welfare via leadership, advocacy, education and service in the veterinary field. We recognize that we cannot advance animal welfare without deliberate and conscious attempts to include more people and more perspectives. The 2024 CCVS scholarship selection process is therefore deliberately designed to support efforts to expand access to veterinary care in underserved communities and to promote diverse representation within the veterinary profession itself:  

• Special consideration will be given to those who can demonstrate that they volunteer, work within or otherwise serve underserved and marginalized communities.  
• Additional consideration will also be given to applicants who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC) as research shows these individuals are underrepresented in the veterinary field.  

These considerations directly contribute to our initiative to create a more sustainable, humane world for all animals from within the veterinary field. You can read more about our broad DEI efforts as an affiliate of the Humane Society of the United States on the webpage Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at HSUS.

Scholarship Eligibility: First/Second/Third-year veterinary student enrolled in an AVMA-accredited veterinary school in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, or UK during the 2023-2024 school year.  

Scholarship Submission Requirements: GPA and Academic History, Two Letters of Recommendation (one letter must be written by a faculty member or clinician employed at the veterinary school you are attending); Statement of Intent which demonstrates interest in animal welfare and service or experience with equitable access to care for underserved communities; Financial Information (expected debt burden); Professional and volunteer activities - you must download and use this excel sheet to list your activities.  You will be instructed to upload this sheet in your application.