Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Professional Student Exchange Program topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Veterinary and producer groups back PSEP funding as universities warn of a biennial shortfall
Summary
Veterinary and producer groups told a Senate appropriations division that the Professional Student Exchange Program is crucial for making veterinary, dental and optometry education feasible for North Dakota students and asked lawmakers to maintain funding as the university system projects a near‑term shortfall.
Veterinary leaders, producers and higher education staff urged the Appropriations, Education and Environment Division to continue funding the Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP), which helps North Dakota students access out‑of‑state professional programs in veterinary medicine, dentistry and optometry.
Dr. Laura Beaudoin, a mixed‑animal veterinarian and past president of the North Dakota Veterinary Medical Association (NDVMA), testified that PSEP reduces out‑of‑state tuition barriers and increases the likelihood that North Dakota students will pursue veterinary careers. She said national veterinary student debt is high and that the program helps make veterinary education financially feasible for in‑state applicants.
Shane Gettle, representing the NDVMA, introduced the association’s support; Julia Ellingsen of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association testified that producers rely on veterinary services and have long supported PSEP as one way to entice students into the profession.
Brenda (NDUS) told the committee the PSEP line covers veterinary medicine (up to 12 student slots), optometry and dentistry in the budgets NDUS manages, and that the program’s base appropriation is $3,699,342. She said current carryover will fund the program through the current biennium but that NDUS projects a shortfall of about $900,000 in the next biennium if no additional appropriation is provided. Brenda also described how funding is shifted among program areas if cohorts are undersubscribed in a given year.
Committee members asked whether the program produces large‑animal veterinarians and discussed workforce placement. Testimony included that return‑to‑state rates for PSEP graduates have risen to 54% as of October 2024 (up from 48% in 2020), according to NDVMA testimony, but panel members noted the program does not require participants to return to North Dakota and that placement of large‑animal veterinarians remains a challenge tied to market forces and available positions.
No formal appropriation decision was made during the hearing; presenters asked the committee to maintain or restore funding to avoid gaps in PSEP slots and to support workforce retention efforts in veterinary medicine and other professions.
