Bill > HB172

This bill modifies Georgia's student loan forgiveness program for veterinarians by making several key changes. The bill increases the maximum loan purchase amount from $80,000 to $90,000 for eligible veterinarians who agree to practice in rural Georgia counties. It specifies that only veterinarians specializing in food animal practices who have been practicing such specialties for ten years or less can qualify for the loan purchases. The bill also updates the rural county population threshold from 35,000 to 50,000 and changes the census year reference from 2010 to 2020. Additionally, the loan purchase rate increases from $20,000 to $30,000 per 12 months of service. The bill introduces a new requirement that loan purchase contracts will have a fixed term of three consecutive years, and stipulates that participants cannot receive the award more than once in their lifetime. Participants will need to provide annual certification of compliance, but will not need to reapply after initially entering into a contract. The board retains the authority to cancel loan purchase contracts for sufficient cause, with the caveat that such cancellations cannot be arbitrary or unreasonable.

Education

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69649