More than 350 veterinary students across the nation recently garnered $2,000 scholarships to help pay for their education.

Zoetis and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) announced the winners of the 2017 Zoetis/AAVMC Veterinary Student Scholarship Program. Now in its eighth year, the program awarded 315 scholarships to second- and third-year veterinary students.

Another 24 scholarships were awarded through partnerships with the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP). A Zoetis spokeswoman said the company hopes to lessen the financial burden felt by many students and to encourage them to leadership roles.

More than 1,700 applicants from universities throughout the United States and the Caribbean were evaluated for academic excellence, financial need, diversity, sustainability, leadership and career path. Students made application for the scholarships through VetVance, a free educational resource sponsored by Zoetis. The platform provides students and recent graduates with online content relating to professional development, business skills, professional stewardship, financial literacy, personal wellness and more topics.