{"id":33496,"date":"2026-04-30T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/?p=33496"},"modified":"2026-05-01T11:45:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T15:45:31","slug":"through-scholarship-opportunities-purdues-vet-tech-distance-learning-program-is-making-veterinary-education-more-accessible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/through-scholarship-opportunities-purdues-vet-tech-distance-learning-program-is-making-veterinary-education-more-accessible.php","title":{"rendered":"Through scholarship opportunities, Purdue\u2019s Veterinary Technology Distance Learning Program is making veterinary education more accessible"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Earning a degree in a field like veterinary technology can change lives \u2014 both for veterinary technicians themselves, who can expect stable employment and high career growth, and for the animals they care for. But earning a degree is a significant financial investment, and one that can be inaccessible to working students.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Karen
Karen “Coco” Schefmeyer, a former Purdue Veterinary Technology Distance Learning student and co founder of the Dr. Bill Scholarship, holds a kitten in a veterinary setting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

That\u2019s why Purdue\u2019s Veterinary Technology Distance Learning (VTDL)<\/a> program created scholarship opportunities for online students. One such scholarship, the Dr. Bill Scholarship, supports working students in Purdue\u2019s VTDL program by helping them cover the costs of laptops, textbooks and other expenses<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dr. Bill scholarship was started by Coco Schefmeyer, a former VTDL student<\/a>, and her husband. The pair were inspired by Robert (Pete) Bill, an emeritus professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine who was an exceptional educator and program leader, Schefmeyer said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need men and women of science in this world,\u201d said Schefmeyer. \u201cWe hope this scholarship inspires students to dream big. Equally important, this scholarship pays tribute to Dr. Bill, a brilliant professor of veterinary medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Melissa Merritt, a VTDL student and Dr. Bill Scholarship recipient, getting extra financial assistance has made her program considerably more affordable, and it\u2019s helping her accomplish her dream of moving up in the veterinary technology field.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Melissa
Melissa Merritt, a recipient of the Dr. Bill Scholarship, is earning her degree through Purdue’s Veterinary Technology Distance Learning program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cThe scholarship has covered books and a new iPad, which makes it way easier to do online schoolwork,\u201d Merritt said. \u201cThe iPad is essential because all of my courses are online, and I really needed a new one to complete my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merritt lives in Los Angeles, California and works as a veterinary assistant. Becoming a veterinary technician means a more competitive salary and better career options. Purdue\u2019s program is preparing her to work as a vet tech, and the scholarship is giving her the resources she needs to succeed as a working student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of online students are working, and they don\u2019t necessarily have a lot of financial support,\u201d Merritt said. \u201cThey are trying to do school and pay their bills, so any extra support helps.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merritt picked Purdue\u2019s program because of the university\u2019s reputation in veterinary education. Several of her friends who work in veterinary medicine recommended the online VTDL program. The structure and consistency of the program convinced her to enroll, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love the structure and how intuitively everything is laid out,\u201d Merritt said. \u201cI was able to plan out my whole program from the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the future, Merritt wants to earn her veterinary technician certification and specialize in feline medicine. She\u2019s confident that the Dr. Bill scholarship will give her the extra assistance she needs to finish strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are so many costs to attending school besides tuition, and this scholarship covers that,\u201d Merritt said.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Jasmine
Jasmine Staver, a recipient of the Dr. Bill Scholarship, is earning her degree through Purdue’s Veterinary Technology Distance Learning program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Jasmine Staver, another VTDL student and Dr. Bill Scholarship recipient, said she will be using her scholarship to help cover the cost of textbooks. As a working student, she spends a lot of time balancing schoolwork with her job as a veterinary assistant at an emergency veterinary hospital. Getting help with textbook costs \u2014 which can add up to hundreds of dollars a semester \u2014 will help stretch her salary further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s so much content you cover in vet tech school, and there\u2019s a lot of textbooks,\u201d Staver said. \u201cThis will be a big help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staver, who earned an undergraduate degree at Purdue, was introduced to the veterinary field after graduation, when she got a job at her local animal shelter. She fell in love with veterinary medicine, but she needed specialized training to work as a technician. That\u2019s what drew her to Purdue\u2019s VTDL program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have a few friends in Purdue\u2019s vet tech program,\u201d Staver said. \u201cAnd I live in Carmel (Indiana), so not having to commute to campus every day is a big plus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After enrolling in the VTDL program, Staver\u2019s career options opened up. She started working as an assistant at a veterinary hospital specializing in cardiology. Though she was unfamiliar with the field at first, she developed a passion for the technical expertise that cardiology requires, and she plans to continue working in cardiology after graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since she\u2019s studying online, Staver can work and go to school at the same time. Her program is challenging and rigorous, but its format makes it possible to balance all her responsibilities \u2014 including being a devoted pet parent to her pets, Trixie, Cleo and Gunther.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnline students want balance,\u201d Staver said. \u201cScholarships give that buffer and ease financial stress. It\u2019s like an added security blanket.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Josh Clark, assistant director of Purdue\u2019s VTDL program, balance is something all students deserve, whether they\u2019re studying online or on campus. For online students who work and go to school, balance is particularly important. At a time when many students\u2019 access to higher education is affected by rising costs and financial barriers, scholarships have the power to turn far-off dreams into hard-won realities. They give online students the extra push they need to juggle work, school and other obligations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cProviding scholarship opportunities is one way we can help reduce some of those barriers so students can stay focused on their education,\u201d Clark said. \u201cOffering scholarships also reflects our belief that distance learners deserve access to the same level of support and encouragement as on\u2011campus students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dr. Bill Scholarship is open to all eligible students in Purdue\u2019s VTDL program. To be eligible, students must have successfully completed the second semester of their program. Preference is given to candidates with work experience in shelters, rescues, and spay and neuter clinics, as well as students employed by Purdue University. Scholarship amounts vary depending on college resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Explore the Purdue University Veterinary Technology Distance Learning Program<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Apply now to be a Purdue Vet Tech<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Earning a degree in a field like veterinary technology can change lives \u2014 both for veterinary technicians themselves, who can expect stable employment and high career growth, and for the animals they care for. But earning a degree is a significant financial investment, and one that can be inaccessible to working students.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why Purdue\u2019s Veterinary Technology Distance Learning (VTDL) program created scholarship opportunities for online students. One such scholarship, the Dr. Bill Scholarship, supports working students in Purdue\u2019s VTDL program by helping them cover the costs of laptops, textbooks and other expenses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":33512,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,1,3,644],"tags":[1920,26,56,217,2089,274,2298],"class_list":["post-33496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-students","category-uncategorized","category-vet-tech","category-veterinary-nursing","tag-coco","tag-featured-story","tag-homepage","tag-student","tag-student-feature","tag-vet-tech","tag-veterinary-technology-distance-learning"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33496"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33585,"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33496\/revisions\/33585"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}