TUSKEGEE, Ala. (October 20, 2021) – The Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine (TUCVM) is grateful to the Synchrony Foundation for its generous multi-year grant to support veterinary medical education. TUCVM is the recipient of a $400K grant from the Synchrony Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of Synchrony (NYSE:SYF), a leading consumer financial services company.  For students desiring to obtain their DVM from Tuskegee University, this grant will help increase educational and training opportunities for Tuskegee veterinary students and expand pathways for increased diverse representation in the veterinary industry.

“As the only veterinary medical professional program located on the campus of a historically black college or university (HBCU) in the US, the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine has a sustaining legacy of training and educating underrepresented minorities (URMs) as veterinarians in the veterinary profession,” said Dr. Ruby L. Perry, dean of the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine.

“We are very appreciative to be a recipient of this generous grant from the Synchrony Foundation which demonstrates an intentional commitment that will inspire our students to achieve their career goals and aspirations to become veterinarians and ultimately promote diversity and inclusion across the veterinary profession,” Dean Perry continued.

Synchrony’s investment supports the College’s mission to educate and graduate diverse veterinarians, preparing them to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow.

“Empowering veterinarians is at the heart of our commitment to provide a lifetime of care for pets,” says Jonathan Wainberg, senior vice president and general manager, Pets, Synchrony. “By partnering with the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, we are bringing together resources and people to better support aspiring veterinarians and help grow and diversify the veterinary profession.”

Through the partnership, TUCVM and Synchrony will provide vital skills and veterinary best practice education to aspiring veterinarians. TUCVM students will be granted scholarships that can be used toward the cost of attendance, including tuition, required fees, books, room and board and other educational expenses. Recipients will be selected by the college’s Veterinary Medicine Scholarship Committee.

Synchrony supports veterinarians and the nation’s veterinary universities through CareCredit, a leading promotional financing solution for health, veterinary and personal care. For more than 30 years, CareCredit has been a valuable financing option for treatments and procedures, giving pet owners the peace of mind needed to care for pets big and small. Synchrony has partnerships with 26 of the nation’s 32 veterinary colleges, offering CareCredit to their veterinary patients.

To learn more about the Synchrony Foundation and its philanthropic plans to support veterinary medical education, financial education, mentorship, professional forum and networking, visit www.synchrony.com.

For over seven decades, the TUCVM has produced veterinarians that have made immense contributions to the world at large. To learn more about the living legacy of the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, visit www.tuskegee.edu/vetmed.

About Synchrony

Synchrony (NYSE: SYF) is a premier consumer financial services company. We deliver a wide range of specialized financing programs, as well as innovative consumer banking products, across key industries including digital, retail, home, auto, travel, health and pet. Synchrony enables our partners to grow sales and loyalty with consumers. We are one of the largest issuers of private label credit cards in the United States; we also offer co-branded products, installment loans and consumer financing products for small- and medium-sized businesses, as well as healthcare providers. Synchrony is changing what’s possible through our digital capabilities, deep industry expertise, actionable data insights, frictionless customer experience and customized financing solutions. For more information, visit www.synchrony.com and @Synchrony on Twitter.

About Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine

Located in Alabama as one of the state’s two accredited veterinary programs, the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine (TUCVM) was envisioned in 1944 by Dr. Frederick D. Patterson, founder of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), and officially established at Tuskegee in 1945. TUCVM is the only veterinary medical professional program located on the campus of a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the United States. The College has educated more than 70 percent of the nation’s African American veterinarians and has been recognized as the most diverse of all schools/colleges of veterinary medicine in the nation.  The College’s primary mission is to provide an environment that fosters a spirit of active, independent, and self-directed learning, intellectual curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, ethics, and leadership; and promotes teaching, research, and service in veterinary medicine and related disciplines. For more information, visit www.tuskegee.edu/vetmed.

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Contact: 

Anissa Riley
Director of External Affairs College of Veterinary Medicine 
ariley@tuskegee.edu

Michelle Blaya 
Vice President of Communications, Synchrony 
Michelle.Blaya@syf.com