Managing personal finances

Thriving as a veterinarian includes successfully managing your finances. This means finding the right strategy to pay down debt, making and managing a budget, and planning for the future. From veterinary school through retirement, AVMA tools can help. Use these resources to stay on a road to financial health.

Managing money

From budgeting to goal setting to managing cash flow, these resources simplify money management, regardless whether you’re a new graduate or nearing retirement.

Personal financial planning tool

Build a personalized budget estimate so you can plan for the future while meeting your current needs. This tool, available only to AVMA members, walks you through the essential steps of budgeting—and lets you experiment with scenarios to see what will work best for you.

More financial planning resources

Find links to calculators that help you estimate cost of living, credit card scenarios, car ownership costs, retirement needs, and more.

Repaying student debt

Finding creative solutions to alleviate the veterinary debt load is a top priority for the AVMA. Both independently and in concert with other groups across the profession, the AVMA develops tools and advances public policies that help address veterinary debt.

Student loan changes: What you need to know

Extensive changes to federal student loan programs were approved by Congress and signed into law in July 2025. See a summary of the key changes affecting veterinary borrowers.

Currently, online applications for the Income-Based Repayment (IBR), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) repayment plans are open, following a temporary pause. The online loan consolidation application also has been reposted. Borrowers enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan remain in a general forbearance, but the interest on these loans began accruing (growing) again on August 1, 2025.

Loan repayment strategies

Are you repaying student loans? The AVMA's My Veterinary Life website has a suite of resources that will help you understand your options.

Loan forgiveness and repayment programs

Devoting part or all of your career to public service, nonprofit work, or rural practice can be a strategy to manage student debt.

Loan consolidation

The Federal Student Aid site shares pros and cons of loan consolidation, describes the application process, and lists factors to consider in deciding whether to consolidate.

Financial hardship and paying back student loans

There are many reasons why you might not be able to make payments on your student loans. Explore your options to avoid default.