Veterinary Practices, Colleges Face Similar Income-to-Debt Dilemmas

Mike Dicks, PhD, previous director of veterinary economics for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), says that while schools can try to tackle student debt dilemmas, they’re fighting an uphill battle. As public funding for education continues to diminish, a college’s only hope is to acquire funding from either increased tuition or an increased number of seats. But this is the same problem that veterinary practices face, he says — they can either raise prices or try to get more clients.

While schools try to balance the burdens placed on students (raising tuition) and teachers (accepting more students) both decisions affect the income-to-debt ratio.