Educational assistance in the health professions regarding individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds

42 U.S. Code § 293c. Educational assistance in the health professions regarding individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds

(a) In general
(1) Authority for grants
For the purpose of assisting individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, as determined in accordance with criteria prescribed by the Secretary, to undertake education to enter a health profession, the Secretary may make grants to and enter into contracts with schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, public health, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, pharmacy, allied health, chiropractic, and podiatric medicine, public and nonprofit private schools that offer graduate programs in behavioral and mental health, programs for the training of physician assistants, and other public or private nonprofit health or educational entities to assist in meeting the costs described in paragraph (2).
(2) Authorized expendituresA grant or contract under paragraph (1) may be used by the entity to meet the cost of—
(A)
identifying, recruiting, and selecting individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, as so determined, for education and training in a health profession;
(B)
facilitating the entry of such individuals into such a school;
(C)
providing counseling, mentoring, or other services designed to assist such individuals to complete successfully their education at such a school;
(D)
providing, for a period prior to the entry of such individuals into the regular course of education of such a school, preliminary education and health research training designed to assist them to complete successfully such regular course of education at such a school, or referring such individuals to institutions providing such preliminary education;
(E)
publicizing existing sources of financial aid available to students in the education program of such a school or who are undertaking training necessary to qualify them to enroll in such a program;
(F)
paying such scholarships as the Secretary may determine for such individuals for any period of health professions education at a health professions school;
(G)
paying such stipends as the Secretary may approve for such individuals for any period of education in student-enhancement programs (other than regular courses), except that such a stipend may not be provided to an individual for more than 12 months, and such a stipend shall be in an amount determined appropriate by the Secretary (notwithstanding any other provision of law regarding the amount of stipends);
(H)
carrying out programs under which such individuals gain experience regarding a career in a field of primary health care through working at facilities of public or private nonprofit community-based providers of primary health services; and
(I)
conducting activities to develop a larger and more competitive applicant pool through partnerships with institutions of higher education, school districts, and other community-based entities.
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