Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 102 Part 1.djvu/558

 102 STAT. 520

PUBLIC LAW 100-322—MAY 20, 1988 "SUBCHAPTER II—SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

38 USC 4311.

"§ 4311. Authority for program "As part of the Educational Assistance Program, the Administrator shall carry out a scholarship program under this subchapter. The program shall be known as the Veterans' Administration Health Professional Scholarship Program (hereinafter in this chapter referred to as the "Scholarship Program").

38 USC 4312.

"§ 4312. Eligibility; application; agreement "(a)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, an individual must be accepted for enrollment or be enrolled (as described in section 4302 of this title) as a full-time student to be eligible to participate in the Scholarship Program. "(2) An individual who is an eligible Veterans' Administration employee may be accepted as a participant if accepted for enrollment or enrolled (as described in section 4302 of this title) for study on less than a full-time but not less than a half-time bsisis. (Such a participant is hereinafter in this subchapter referred to as a "parttime student".) "(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2) of this subsection, an eligible Veterans' Administration employee is a full-time Veterans' Administration employee who is permanently assigned to a Veterans' Administration health-care facility on the date on which the individual submits the application referred to in section 4303 of this title and on the date on which the individual becomes a participant in the Scholarship Program. "(b)(1) A scholarship may be awarded under this subchapter only in a qualifying field of education or training. "(2) A qualifying field of education or training for purposes of this subchapter is education or training leading to employment (under section 4104 of this title) as any of the following: "(A) A physician, dentist, podiatrist, optometrist, nurse, physician assistant, or expanded function dental auxiliary. "(B) A psychologist described in section 4104(3) of this title or a certified or registered respiratory therapist, licensed physical therapist, or licensed practical or vocational nurse. "(3) The Administrator may designate additional fields of education or training as qualifying fields of education or training if the education or training leads to employment in a position which would qualify the individual for increased basic pay under section 4107(g)(l)(B) of this title. "(4) Before awarding the initial scholarship in a course of education or training other than medicine or nursing, the Administrator shall notify the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives of the Administrator's intent to award a scholarship in such course of education or training. The notice shall include a statement of the reasons why the award of scholarships in that course of education or training is necessary to assist in providing the Veterans' Administration with an adequate supply of personnel in the health profession concerned. Any such notice shall be given not less than 60 days before the first such scholarship is awarded. "(5) In selecting applicants for the Scholarship Program, the Administrator shall give priority to the applications of individuals who will be entering their final year in a course of training.

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