Paycor.com examined the benefits of employer repayment programs in “Employer Student Loan Repayment Program: 5 Tips for 2020” stating, “Companies that offer student loan debt relief can more easily attract and retain talent. In fact, studies indicate that 86% of workers between the ages of 22 and 33 would commit to an employer for five years if the employer offered a student loan repayment program.” The article provides advice to employees to help repay their student loans and also explains Abbot Laboratories novel repayment approach tied to the company’s 401(k). The...

“Applying for Public Service Loan Forgiveness: 5 Tips for Success” was posted on the official blog of the U.S. Department of Education, outlining tips for applying for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. “The qualifying payments are where most folks get hung up. I've heard many financial aid officers talk about how easy it is for someone to accidentally mess up a qualifying payment. Paying too early in the month before the next billing or even paying more than the minimum due can throw the payments off. Only 1% of folks have...

In “So You Make $100,000? It Still Might Not Be Enough to Buy a Home,” * The Wall Street Journal recently looked at the increase in the number of six-figure-income families who rent instead of buy a home: “Student debt and meager savings cloud their financial future,” the story said.  The article explained how student debt was closely entwined with the housing market: “There is a connection between student loans and the housing bust, which isn’t lost on young home buyers. Many students took out loans because the housing crisis...

VHMA and VMAE are pleased to present a three-part series of practice-building webinars geared towards veterinary practice owners, managers, and supervisors at no cost. Please use the following copy to publicize this FREE resource to your members: Defining and Developing Your Dream Team   Webinar #1: It's All About the Job January 8, 2020 1:00 pm EST   Register Today The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) and Veterinary Medical Association Executives (VMAE) are pleased to announce the launch of a new three-part webinar series. In It’s All About the Job, you will learn how to create accurate job descriptions that allow management...

Impact metrics was one of the key takeaways that resonated with participants in Jeffrey Cufaude’s recent VMAE | Live! webinar on “Successful Associations Know When To Say No.”  If you missed the live session, you can watch the archived webinar here.  Given the interest members indicated in impact metrics, Jeffrey (who is president and CEO of Idea Architects, and who will be presenting and facilitating the VMAE | Fall Conference 2019) agreed to share some additional thoughts about impact metrics. Imagine you just concluded your annual meeting. Registrations, sponsorships, and overall...

SURGE Growth 2019 is the name of a free, interactive virtual conference for association professionals that airs November 6-8, 2019.  The virtual conference features daily discussion panels, an interactive audience and speaker chat and keynote conversations. The event is hosted by AssociationSuccess.org, which describes itself as a facilitator of great ideas.  Sessions are held from 12-4 PM EST on November 6-8; each session is an hour long and is pre-recorded.  This allows the speakers to spend the entire session period using the chat tool to answer attendees’ questions (and attendees can...

An analysis of the demographics of the current VMCAS applicant pool compared against existing Census Bureau Data suggests that a great deal of work remains to be done to diversify the profession, suggests the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). AAVMC Senior Director for Institutional Research and Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Lisa Greenhill recently examined the applicant pool within the context of the broader population and published an addendum to the AAVMC's current Public Data Report. "If veterinary medicine is going to have a sustained applicant pool feeding the...

Educational debt is on everyone’s mind these days—students, veterinarians, parents, deans, veterinary industry leaders, policymakers. If you mention it to a colleague, coworker or classmate, you may learn they, too, struggle under its burden. But veterinary medicine is not the only profession struggling with the magnitude of educational debt. Across general higher education, students are confronting the challenges of student debt. The good news: VDI is here to help. The Veterinary Debt Initiative (VDI) is led by three organizations: the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and...