LINCOLN – Sydney Hutchinson had dreamed all her life of attending a veterinary program in Nebraska and Iowa and earning her doctorate in medicine, but by February she was well on her way to attending Kansas State University instead.
Hutchinson said that while it wasn’t her dream, an early admission offer from K-State College of Veterinary Medicine “was just too good to turn down.” She said neither the University of Nebraska-Lincoln nor Iowa State University offered a comparable opportunity of the same magnitude.
“Conveniently, the day I had my interview with Kansas State was the same day (Feb. 29) that the press conference announcing Nebraska’s Elite 11 program took place,” Hutchinson said at a press conference Monday.
Nebraska Elite 11 Program
Hutchinson and 18 other students celebrated the opening class of the “Nebraska Elite 11 Veterinary Program“that pills and UNL launched in FebruaryThe state-funded program covers the full six tuition fees for up to 11 Nebraska residents during the eight years of veterinary school and includes a competitive selection process.
Pillen concluded with his Graduated as a veterinarian in 1983 from K-State after earning his bachelor’s degree in animal science from UNL four years earlier.
Up to 25 freshmen may participate in the program and receive 50% tuition reimbursement for the first two years. Up to 13 students will be selected to continue in the program and receive 100% tuition reimbursement for years three and four before graduating from UNL.
Nebraska began a joint four-year doctoral program in veterinary medicine with Iowa State in 2007. Tuition is based on the tuition rates for Iowa residents. Nebraska State plans to fully cover the associated tuition and fees for up to 11 students – the “Elite 11” – in the professional program.
In return, students sign a contract with the Nebraska Department of Labor agreeing to return to Nebraska after graduation and practice as veterinarians for eight years.
This work must be done in a Nebraska county with fewer than 40,000 residents, which excludes five of the 93 counties: Douglas, Lancaster, Sarpy, Hall and Buffalo, according to recent legislative proposalsThe new veterinarians must also spend more than 50% of their time working with farm animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, poultry and other farm animals).
Elite 11 students who do not meet the terms of their contract agree to repay the training costs they incurred.
“Don’t let anyone steal your dream”
Pillen, a former chancellor of the University of Nebraska, said one of the obstacles to hiring livestock veterinarians is cost, which is why several states have difficulty recruiting large animal veterinarians. He thanked UNL for its “proactive approach” that will give back to Nebraska.
“If you have the North Star of your dream, you will all be successful,” Pillen told the students at his press conference. “Don’t let anyone steal your dream because you can achieve anything you want if you are willing to work hard enough.”
The scholarships are funded by the Nebraska Department of Labor’s newly created Workforce Development Program, which Annual state budget. The legislature has approved the transfer of $40 million to the development program, originally raised through a tax on state unemployment insurance. Up to $10 million will be available over a four-year period.
A similar $10 million workforce grant program was created in 2022 using federal COVID-19 recovery funds, and the state later covered the cost in 2023.
Fellows receive special programs, mentoring and internship opportunities. A spokesperson for Pillen said current vets have indicated that additional support would have made a difference if it had been available during their training.
“Really a turning point”
Tiffany Heng-Moss, dean of UNL’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, said the program is a “huge win” for Nebraska, including its veterinary and agricultural communities.
Heng-Moss and UNL Chancellor Rodney Bennett pointed out that the livestock industry contributes more than $6 billion to Nebraska’s economy. Heng-Moss said this will “really be a game changer.”
Hutchinson said the Elite 11 program will keep Nebraska students in the state, help the veterinary industry overcome one of its biggest challenges, high student debt, and ensure Nebraska can “continue to do what we do best, which is feed the world.”
“Without the Elite 11 program, I would not be here at the University of Nebraska,” Hutchinson said Monday. “While not all students are in the same situation as me, the reality is that Nebraska’s students, both now and in the future, would be lost to other states without the program.”
The 19 first-semester students and their hometowns are:
- Brooklyn Ahrens (Crying Water).
- Meg Anderson (Evade).
- Alannah Crabtree (Lincoln).
- Pauline B. (Oakland).
- Haydn Farr (Maywood).
- Peyton Fisher (Hershey).
- Klayton Hilbers (Hooper).
- Haylie Hoatson (North Platte).
- Sydney Hutchinson (West Point).
- Hannah Keilian (Dix).
- Lynsie Lancaster (Hastings).
- Chase Martin (Wellfleet).
- Presley Nowak (Keystone).
- Addison Swimming Pool (Naponee).
- Chloe Scheer (St. Libory).
- Emma Snider (York).
- Claire Stauth (O’Neill).
- Jack Steenson (Phillips).
- Jacob’s Forest (Palmyra).
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