National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program

an adequate supply of physicians, dentists, behavioral and mental health professionals, certified nurse midwives, certified nurse practitioners, and physician assistants; and if needed by the Corps, an adequate supply of other health professionals. be accepted for enrollment, or be enrolled, as a full-time student (A) in an accredited (as determined by the Secretary) educational institution in a State and (B) in a course of study or program, offered by such institution and approved by the Secretary, leading to a degree in medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or other health profession, or an appropriate degree from a graduate program of behavioral and mental health; be eligible for, or hold, an appointment as a commissioned officer in the Regular or Reserve Corps 11 See Change of Name note below. of the Service or be eligible for selection for civilian service in the Corps; submit an application to participate in the Scholarship Program; and sign and submit to the Secretary, at the time of submittal of such application, a written contract (described in subsection (f)) to accept payment of a scholarship and to serve (in accordance with this subpart) for the applicable period of obligated service in a health professional shortage area. a fair summary of the rights and liabilities of an individual whose application is approved (and whose contract is accepted) by the Secretary, including in the summary a clear explanation of the damages to which the United States is entitled under section 254o of this title in the case of the individual’s breach of the contract; and information respecting meeting a service obligation through private practice under an agreement under section 254n of this title and such other information as may be necessary for the individual to understand the individual’s prospective participation in the Scholarship Program and service in the Corps, including a statement of all factors considered in approving applications for participation in the Program and in making assignments for participants in the Program. The application form, contract form, and all other information furnished by the Secretary under this subpart shall be written in a manner calculated to be understood by the average individual applying to participate in the Scholarship Program. The Secretary shall make such application forms, contract forms, and other information available to individuals desiring to participate in the Scholarship Program on a date sufficiently early to insure that such individuals have adequate time to carefully review and evaluate such forms and information. The Secretary shall distribute to health professions schools materials providing information on the Scholarship Program and shall encourage the schools to disseminate the materials to the students of the schools. In the case of any health professional whose period of obligated service under the Scholarship Program is nearing completion, the Secretary shall encourage the individual to remain in a health professional shortage area and to continue providing primary health services. During the period in which a health professional is planning and making the transition to private practice from obligated service under the Scholarship Program, the Secretary may provide assistance to the professional regarding such transition if the professional is remaining in a health professional shortage area and is continuing to provide primary health services. In the case of entities to which participants in the Scholarship Program are assigned under section 254f of this title, the Secretary shall encourage the entities to provide options with respect to assisting the participants in remaining in the health professional shortage areas involved, and in continuing to provide primary health services, after the period of obligated service under the Scholarship Program is completed. The options with respect to which the Secretary provides such encouragement may include options regarding the sharing of a single employment position in the health professions by 2 or more health professionals, and options regarding the recruitment of couples where both of the individuals are health professionals. the Secretary shall consider the extent of the demonstrated interest of the applicants for the contracts in providing primary health services; the Secretary, in considering applications from individuals accepted for enrollment or enrolled in dental school, shall consider applications from all individuals accepted for enrollment or enrolled in any accredited dental school in a State; and may 22 So in original. consider such other factors regarding the applicants as the Secretary determines to be relevant to selecting qualified individuals to participate in such Program. first, to any application for such a contract submitted by an individual who has previously received a scholarship under this section or under section 294z 33 See References in Text note below. of this title; second, to any application for such a contract submitted by an individual who has characteristics that increase the probability that the individual will continue to serve in a health professional shortage area after the period of obligated service pursuant to subsection (f) is completed; and third, subject to subparagraph (B), to any application for such a contract submitted by an individual who is from a disadvantaged background. An individual becomes a participant in the Scholarship Program only upon the Secretary’s approval of the individual’s application submitted under subsection (b)(3) and the Secretary’s acceptance of the contract submitted by the individual under subsection (b)(4). The Secretary shall provide written notice to an individual promptly upon the Secretary’s approving, under paragraph (1), of the individual’s participation in the Scholarship Program. subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary agrees (i) to provide the individual with a scholarship (described in subsection (g)) in each such school year or years for a period of years (not to exceed four school years) determined by the individual, during which period the individual is pursuing a course of study described in subsection (b)(1)(B), and (ii) to accept (subject to the availability of appropriated funds for carrying out sections 254d through 254h and section 254j of this title) the individual into the Corps (or for equivalent service as otherwise provided in this subpart); and to accept provision of such a scholarship to the individual; to maintain enrollment in a course of study described in subsection (b)(1)(B) until the individual completes the course of study; while enrolled in such course of study, to maintain an acceptable level of academic standing (as determined under regulations of the Secretary by the educational institution offering such course of study); if pursuing a degree from a school of medicine or osteopathic medicine, to complete a residency in a specialty that the Secretary determines is consistent with the needs of the Corps; and one year for each school year for which the individual was provided a scholarship under the Scholarship Program, or two years, a provision that any financial obligation of the United States arising out of a contract entered into under this subpart and any obligation of the individual which is conditioned thereon, is contingent upon funds being appropriated for scholarships under this subpart and to carry out the purposes of sections 254d through 254h and sections 254j and 254k of this title; a statement of the damages to which the United States is entitled, under section 254o of this title, for the individual’s breach of the contract; and such other statements of the rights and liabilities of the Secretary and of the individual, not inconsistent with the provisions of this subpart. the tuition of the student in such school year; and all other reasonable educational expenses, including fees, books, and laboratory expenses, incurred by the student in such school year; and payment to the student of a stipend of $400 per month (adjusted in accordance with paragraph (3)) for each of the 12 consecutive months beginning with the first month of such school year. The Secretary may contract with an educational institution, in which a participant in the Scholarship Program is enrolled, for the payment to the educational institution of the amounts of tuition and other reasonable educational expenses described in paragraph (1)(A). Payment to such an educational institution may be made without regard to section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31. The amount of the monthly stipend, specified in paragraph (1)(B) and as previously adjusted (if at all) in accordance with this paragraph, shall be increased by the Secretary for each school year ending in a fiscal year beginning after September 30, 1978, by an amount (rounded to the next highest multiple of $1) equal to the amount of such stipend multiplied by the overall percentage (under section 5303 of title 5) of the adjustment (if such adjustment is an increase) in the rates of pay under the General Schedule made effective in the fiscal year in which such school year ends. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, individuals who have entered into written contracts with the Secretary under this section, while undergoing academic training, shall not be counted against any employment ceiling affecting the Department. Except as provided in subsection (b), this Act and the amendments and repeals made by this Act [enacting sections 294q–1 to 294q–3 of this title, amending this section and sections 292a, 292b, 292h, 292j, 293c, 294a, 294b, 294d, 294e, 294g, 294j, 294m to 294p, 294z, 295f to 295f–2, 295g, 295g–1, 295g–3, 295g–4, 295g–6 to 295g–8, 295g–8b, 295h, 295h–1a to 295h–1c, 296k, 296l, 296m, 297a, 298b–5, and 300aa–14 of this title, repealing sections 292c, 295 to 295e–5, 295g–2, 295g–5, 295g–8a, and 295g–9 of this title, enacting provisions set out as notes under sections 201, 292h, 293c, 294d, 294n, and 300aa–14 of this title and section 3811 of Title 50, War and National Defense, and amending provisions set out as a note under section 298b–5 of this title] shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 22, 1985]. The amendments made by section 101(a) of this Act [amending section 294a of this title] shall take effect as of October 1, 1985. The amendments made by section 208(e) of this Act [amending section 294e of this title] shall take effect nine months after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 22, 1985]. The amendment made by section 208(h) of this Act [amending section 294a of this title] shall take effect as of October 1, 1983. The provisions of section 746 of the Public Health Service Act (as added by the amendment made by section 209(h)(2) of this Act) [former 42 U.S.C. 294q–2] shall take effect as of June 30, 1984. The amendments made by section 209(j) of this Act [amending sections 294m and 297a of this title] shall take effect as of June 30, 1984. The amendments made by section 213(a) of this Act [amending section 295g–1 of this title] shall take effect as of October 1, 1985.” Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), the amendment made by paragraph (1) of this subsection [enacting this section and sections 254l–1 to 254r of this title and repealing section 234 of this title] shall apply with respect to scholarships awarded under the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program from appropriations for such Program for fiscal years beginning after September 30, 1977. The provisions of section 225(f)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (as in effect on September 30, 1977) [former 42 U.S.C. 234(f)(1)] prescribing the financial obligation of a participant in the Public Health and National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program who fails to complete an active duty service obligation incurred under that Program shall apply to any individual who received a scholarship under such Program from appropriations for such Program for any fiscal year ending before October 1, 1977. If an individual received a scholarship under the Public Health and National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program for any school year beginning before the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 12, 1976], periods of internship or residency served by such individual in a facility of the National Health Service Corps or other facility of the Public Health Service shall be creditable in satisfying such individual’s service obligation incurred under that Program for such scholarship or for any scholarship received under the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program for any subsequent school year. If an individual received a scholarship under the Public Health and National Health Service Corps Program for the first time from appropriations for such Program for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1977, periods of internship or residency served by such individual in such a facility shall be creditable in satisfying such individual’s service obligation incurred under that Program for such scholarship.” The Secretary shall establish the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program to assure, with respect to the provision of primary health services pursuant to section 254d(a)(2) of this title— To be eligible to participate in the Scholarship Program, an individual must— In disseminating application forms and contract forms to individuals desiring to participate in the Scholarship Program, the Secretary shall include with such forms— Subject to section 254f–1 of this title, in providing contracts under the Scholarship Program— In providing contracts under the Scholarship Program, the Secretary shall give priority— The written contract (referred to in this subpart) between the Secretary and an individual shall contain— an agreement that— subject to paragraph (2), the individual agrees— to serve for a time period (hereinafter in the subpart referred to as the “period of obligated service”) equal to— A scholarship provided to a student for a school year under a written contract under the Scholarship Program shall consist of— payment to, or (in accordance with paragraph (2)) on behalf of, the student of the amount (except as provided in section 292k 3 of this title) of— (Source: (July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 338A, formerly title VII, § 751, as added Pub. L. 94–484, title IV, § 408(b)(1), Oct. 12, 1976, 90 Stat. 2281; amended Pub. L. 95–215, § 5, Dec. 19, 1977, 91 Stat. 1506; Pub. L. 95–623, § 12(c), Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3457; Pub. L. 95–626, title I, § 113(b), Nov. 10, 1978, 92 Stat. 3563; Pub. L. 96–32, § 7(i), July 10, 1979, 93 Stat. 84; renumbered § 338A and amended Pub. L. 97–35, title XXVII, § 2709(a), (b), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 908; Pub. L. 99–129, title II, § 210(b), Oct. 22, 1985, 99 Stat. 537; Pub. L. 100–607, title VI, § 629(a)(2), Nov. 4, 1988, 102 Stat. 3146; Pub. L. 101–509, title V, § 529 [title I, § 101(b)(4)(K)], Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1427, 1440; Pub. L. 101–597, title II, § 201, title IV, § 401(b)[(a)], Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3021, 3035; Pub. L. 107–251, title III, § 309, Oct. 26, 2002, 116 Stat. 1649; Pub. L. 108–163, § 2(j), Dec. 6, 2003, 117 Stat. 2022.))