TITLE 10 - US CODE - CHAPTER 105 - ARMED FORCES HEALTH PROFESSIONS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

TITLE 10 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER I - HEALTH PROFESSIONS SCHOLARSHIP AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR ACTIVE SERVICE

10 USC 2120 - Definitions

In this subchapter:
(1) The term program means the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship and Financial Assistance program provided for in this subchapter.
(2) The term member of the program means a person appointed a commissioned officer in a reserve component of the armed forces who is enrolled in the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship and Financial Assistance program.
(3) The term course of study means education received at an accredited college, university, or institution in medicine, dentistry, or other health profession, leading, respectively, to a degree related to the health professions as determined under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.
(4) The term specialized training means advanced training in a health professions specialty received in an accredited program that is beyond the basic education required for appointment as a commissioned officer with a designation as a health professional.

10 USC 2121 - Establishment

(a) For the purpose of obtaining adequate numbers of commissioned officers on active duty who are qualified in the various health professions, the Secretary of each military department, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, may establish and maintain a health professions scholarship and financial assistance program for his department.
(b) The program shall consist of courses of study and specialized training in designated health professions, with obligatory periods of military training.
(c) 
(1) Persons participating in the program shall be commissioned officers in reserve components of the armed forces. Members pursuing a course of study shall serve on active duty in pay grade O1 with full pay and allowances of that grade for a period of 45 days during each year of participation in the program. Members pursuing specialized training shall serve on active duty in a pay grade commensurate with their educational level, as determined by appointment under section 12207 of this title, with full pay and allowances of that grade for a period of 14 days during each year of participation in the program. They shall be detailed as students at accredited civilian institutions, located in the United States or Puerto Rico, for the purpose of acquiring knowledge or training in a designated health profession. In addition, members of the program shall, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, receive military and professional training and instruction.
(2) If a member of the uniformed services selected to participate in the program as a medical student has prior active service in a pay grade and with years of service credited for pay that would entitle the member, if the member remained in the former grade, to a rate of basic pay in excess of the rate of basic pay for regular officers in the grade of second lieutenant or ensign, the member shall be paid basic pay based on the former grade and years of service credited for pay. The amount of such basic pay for the member shall be increased on January 1 of each year by the percentage by which basic pay is increased on average on that date for that year, and the member shall continue to receive basic pay based on the former grade and years of service until the date, whether occurring before or after the conclusion of such participation, on which the basic pay for the member in the members actual grade and years of service credited for pay exceeds the amount of basic pay to which the member is entitled based on the members former grade and years of service.
(d) Except when serving on active duty pursuant to subsection (c), a member of the program shall be entitled to a stipend at a monthly rate established by the Secretary of Defense, but not to exceed a total of $30,000 per year. The maximum annual amount of the stipend shall be increased annually by the Secretary of Defense effective on July 1 of each year by an amount (rounded to the next highest multiple of $1) equal to
(1) the amount of such stipend (as previously adjusted (if at all)), multiplied by
(2) the overall percentage of the adjustment (if such adjustment is an increase) in the rates of basic pay for members of the uniformed services made effective for the fiscal year in which the school year ends.

10 USC 2122 - Eligibility for participation

(a) To be eligible for participation as a member of the program, a person must be a citizen of the United States and must
(1) be accepted for admission to, or enrolled in, an institution in a course of study or selected to receive specialized training;
(2) sign an agreement that unless sooner separated he will
(A) complete the educational phase of the program;
(B) accept an appropriate reappointment or designation within his military service, if tendered, based upon his health profession, following satisfactory completion of the program;
(C) participate in the intern program of his service if selected for such participation;
(D) participate in the residency program of his service, if selected, or be released from active duty for the period required to undergo civilian residency if selected for such training; and
(E) because of his sincere motivation and dedication to a career in the uniformed services, participate in military training while he is in the program, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense; and
(3) meet the requirements for appointment as a commissioned officer.
(b) The Secretary of Defense may require, as part of the agreement under subsection (a)(2), that a person must agree to accept, if offered, residency training in a health profession skill which has been designated by the Secretary as a critically needed wartime skill.

10 USC 2123 - Members of the program: active duty obligation; failure to complete training; release from program

(a) A member of the program incurs an active duty obligation. The amount of his obligation shall be determined under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, but those regulations may not provide for a period of obligation of less than one year for each year of participation in the program.
(b) A period of time spent in military intern or residency training shall not be creditable in satisfying an active duty obligation imposed by this section.
(c) A member of the program who, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, is dropped from the program for deficiency in conduct or studies, or for other reasons, may be required to perform active duty in an appropriate military capacity in accordance with the active duty obligation imposed by this section.
(d) The Secretary of a military department, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, may relieve a member of the program who is dropped from the program from an active duty obligation imposed by this section, but such relief shall not relieve him from any military obligation imposed by any other law.
(e) 
(1) A member of the program who is relieved of the members active duty obligation under this subchapter before the completion of that active duty obligation may be given, with or without the consent of the member, any of the following alternative obligations, as determined by the Secretary of the military department concerned:
(A) A service obligation in another armed force for a period of time not less than the members remaining active duty service obligation.
(B) A service obligation in a component of the Selected Reserve for a period not less than twice as long as the members remaining active duty service obligation.
(C) Repayment to the Secretary of Defense of a percentage of the total cost incurred by the Secretary under this subchapter on behalf of the member pursuant to the repayment provisions of section 303a (e) of title 37.
(2) In addition to the alternative obligations specified in paragraph (1), if the member is relieved of an active duty obligation by reason of the separation of the member because of a physical disability, the Secretary of the military department concerned may give the member a service obligation as a civilian employee employed as a health care professional in a facility of the uniformed services for a period of time equal to the members remaining active duty service obligation.
(3) The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations describing the manner in which an alternative obligation may be given under this subsection.

10 USC 2124 - Members of the program: numbers appointed

The number of persons who may be designated as members of the program for training in each health profession shall be as prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, except that the total number of persons so designated may not, at any time, exceed 6,000.

10 USC 2125 - Members of the program: exclusion from authorized strengths

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, members of the program shall not be counted against any prescribed military strengths.

10 USC 2126 - Members of the program: service credit

(a) Service Not Creditable.— 
Except as provided in subsection (b), service performed while a member of the program shall not be counted
(1) in determining eligibility for retirement other than by reason of a physical disability incurred while on active duty as a member of the program; or
(2) in computing years of service creditable under section 205 of title 37.
(b) Service Creditable for Certain Purposes.— 

(1) The Secretary concerned may authorize service performed by a member of the program in pursuit of a course of study under this subchapter to be counted in accordance with this subsection if the member
(A) completes the course of study;
(B) completes the active duty obligation imposed under section 2123 (a) of this title; and
(C) possesses a specialty designated by the Secretary concerned as critically needed in wartime.
(2) Service credited under paragraph (1) counts only for the award of retirement points for computation of years of service under section 12732 of this title and for computation of retired pay under section 12733 of this title.
(3) The number of points credited to a member under paragraph (1) for a year of participation in a course of study is 50. The points shall be credited to the member for one of the years of that participation at the end of each year after the completion of the course of study that the member serves in the Selected Reserve and is credited under section 12732 (a)(2) of this title with at least 50 points. The points credited for the participation shall be recorded in the members records as having been earned in the year of the participation in the course of study.
(4) Service may not be counted under paragraph (1) for more than four years of participation in a course of study as a member of the program.
(5) A member of the Selected Reserve may be considered to be in an active status while pursuing a course of study under this subchapter only for purposes of sections 12732 (a) and 12733 (3) of this title.
(6) A member is not entitled to any retroactive award of, or increase in, pay or allowances under title 37 by reason of an award of service credit under paragraph (1).

10 USC 2127 - Scholarships and financial assistance: payments

(a) The Secretary of Defense may provide for the payment of all educational expenses incurred by a member of the program, including tuition, fees, books, and laboratory expenses. Such payments, however, shall be limited to those educational expenses normally incurred by students at the institution and in the health profession concerned who are not members of the program.
(b) The Secretary of Defense may contract with an accredited civilian educational institution for the payment of tuition and other educational expenses of members of the program authorized by this subchapter. Payment to such institutions may be made without regard to subsections (a) and (b) of section 3324 of title 31.
(c) Payments made under subsection (b) shall not cover any expenses other than those covered by subsection (a).
(d) When the Secretary of Defense determines, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, that an accredited civilian educational institution has increased its total enrollment for the sole purpose of accepting members of the program covered by this subchapter, he may provide under a contract with such an institution for additional payments to cover the portion of the increased costs of the additional enrollment which are not covered by the institutions normal tuition and fees.
(e) A person participating as a member of the program in specialized training shall be paid an annual grant of[1] in an amount not to exceed $45,000 in addition to the stipend under section 2121 (d) of this title. The maximum amount of the grant shall be increased annually by the Secretary of Defense, effective July 1 of each year, in the same manner as provided for stipends.
[1] So in original. The word “of” probably should not appear.

10 USC 2128 - Accession bonus for members of the program

(a) Availability of Bonus.— 
The Secretary of Defense may offer a person who enters into an agreement under section 2122 (a)(2) of this title an accession bonus of not more than $20,000 as part of the agreement.
(b) Relation to Other Payments.— 
An accession bonus paid a person under this section is in addition to any other amounts payable to the person under this subchapter.
(c) Repayment.— 
A person who receives an accession bonus under this section, but fails to comply with the agreement under section 2122 (a)(2) of this title or to commence or complete the active duty obligation imposed by section 2123 of this title, shall be subject to the repayment provisions of section 303a (e) of title 37.

TITLE 10 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER II - NURSE OFFICER CANDIDATE ACCESSION PROGRAM

10 USC 2130a - Financial assistance: nurse officer candidates

(a) Bonus Authorized.— 

(1) A person described in subsection (b) who, during the period beginning on November 29, 1989, and ending on December 31, 2009, executes a written agreement in accordance with subsection (c) to accept an appointment as a nurse officer may, upon the acceptance of the agreement by the Secretary concerned, be paid an accession bonus of not more than $20,000. The bonus shall be paid in periodic installments, as determined by the Secretary concerned at the time the agreement is accepted, except that the first installment may not exceed $10,000.
(2) In addition to the accession bonus payable under paragraph (1), a person selected under such paragraph shall be entitled to a monthly stipend in an amount not to exceed the stipend rate in effect under section 2121 (d) of this title for each month the individual is enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited baccalaureate degree program in nursing at a civilian educational institution by the Secretary selecting the person. The continuation bonus may be paid for not more than 24 months.
(b) Eligible Students.— 
A person eligible to enter into an agreement under subsection (a) is a person who
(1) is enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited baccalaureate degree program in nursing at a civilian educational institution that does not have a Senior Reserve Officers Training Program established under section 2102 of this title by the Secretary selecting the person or that has a Senior Reserve Officers Training Program for which the student is ineligible;
(2) has completed the second year of an accredited baccalaureate degree program in nursing and has more than 6 months of academic work remaining before graduation; and
(3) meets the qualifications for appointment as an officer of a reserve component of the Army, Navy, or Air Force as set forth in section 12201 of this title or, in the case of the Public Health Service, section 207 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 209) and the regulations of the Secretary concerned.
(c) Required Agreement.— 
The agreement referred to in subsection (a) shall provide that the person executing the agreement agrees to the following:
(1) That the person will complete the nursing degree program described in subsection (b)(1).
(2) That, upon acceptance of the agreement by the Secretary concerned, the person will enlist in a reserve component of an armed force.
(3) That the person will accept an appointment as an officer in the Nurse Corps of the Army or the Navy or as an officer designated as a nurse officer in the Air Force or commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, as the case may be, upon graduation from the nursing degree program.
(4) That the person will serve on active duty as such an officer
(A) for a period of 4 years in the case of a person whose agreement was accepted by the Secretary concerned during that persons fourth year of the nursing degree program; or
(B) for a period of 5 years in the case of a person whose agreement was accepted by the Secretary concerned during that persons third year of the nursing degree program.
(d) Repayment.— 
A person who does not complete a nursing degree program in which the person is enrolled in accordance with the agreement entered into under subsection (a), or having completed the nursing degree program, does not become an officer in the Nurse Corps of the Army or the Navy or an officer designated as a nurse officer of the Air Force or commissioned corps of the Public Health Service or does not complete the period of obligated active service required under the agreement, shall be subject to the repayment provisions of section 303a (e) of title 37.
(e) Regulations.— 
The Secretaries concerned shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section.