Title 38, Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-110

§7674 Obligated Service

Title 38 › PART V — BOARDS, ADMINISTRATIONS, AND SERVICES › CHAPTER 76 — HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM › SUBCHAPTER VI — EMPLOYEE INCENTIVE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM › § 7674

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

You must work full-time for the Department for the length of time in your agreement. You will do full-time clinical work in your profession or another health job and location the Secretary picks. At least 60 days before your service start date, the Secretary will tell you when it begins. Soon after that date, the Secretary will either hire you as a full-time Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employee if you are not one, or move you into a job that matches your training if you already work for the VHA but are in a different role. When your service starts depends on your training and licenses. For doctors, osteopaths, dentists, optometrists, and podiatrists, it starts when you get your State license. For nurses, it starts on whichever comes later: your course completion date or the day you become a State-licensed registered nurse. For others, it starts on the later of course completion or meeting any required license or certification. If you were already a full-time VHA employee doing work that matches your training on your course completion date, your obligated service starts on that course completion date. Course completion date means the day you finish your education or training.

Full Legal Text

Title 38, §7674

Veterans' Benefits, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In General.—

Each participant in the Program shall provide service as a full-time employee of the Department for the period of obligated service provided in the agreement of the participant entered into under section 7603 of this title. Such service shall be provided in the full-time clinical practice of such participant’s profession or in another health-care position in an assignment or location determined by the Secretary.

(b)Determination of Service Commencement Date.—

(1)Not later than 60 days before a participant’s service commencement date, the Secretary shall notify the participant of that service commencement date. That date is the date for the beginning of the participant’s period of obligated service.

(2)As soon as possible after a participant’s service commencement date, the Secretary shall—

(A)in the case of a participant who is not a full-time employee in the Veterans Health Administration, appoint the participant as such an employee; and

(B)in the case of a participant who is an employee in the Veterans Health Administration but is not serving in a position for which the participant’s course of education or training prepared the participant, assign the participant to such a position.

(3)(A)In the case of a participant receiving a degree from a school of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, optometry, or podiatry, the participant’s service commencement date is the date upon which the participant becomes licensed to practice medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, optometry, or podiatry, as the case may be, in a State.

(B)In the case of a participant receiving a degree from a school of nursing, the participant’s service commencement date is the later of—

(i)the participant’s course completion date; or

(ii)the date upon which the participant becomes licensed as a registered nurse in a State.

(C)In the case of a participant not covered by subparagraph (A) or (B), the participant’s service commencement date is the later of—

(i)the participant’s course completion date; or

(ii)the date the participant meets any applicable licensure or certification requirements.

(4)The Secretary shall by regulation prescribe the service commencement date for participants who were part-time students. Such regulations shall prescribe terms as similar as practicable to the terms set forth in paragraph (3).

(c)Commencement of Obligated Service.—

(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), a participant in the Program shall be considered to have begun serving the participant’s period of obligated service—

(A)on the date, after the participant’s course completion date, on which the participant (in accordance with subsection (b)) is appointed as a full-time employee in the Veterans Health Administration; or

(B)if the participant is a full-time employee in the Veterans Health Administration on such course completion date, on the date thereafter on which the participant is assigned to a position for which the participant’s course of training prepared the participant.

(2)A participant in the Program who on the participant’s course completion date is a full-time employee in the Veterans Health Administration serving in a capacity for which the participant’s course of training prepared the participant shall be considered to have begun serving the participant’s period of obligated service on such course completion date.

(d)Course Completion Date Defined.—

In this section, the term “course completion date” means the date on which a participant in the Program completes the participant’s course of education or training under the Program.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

38 U.S.C. § 7674

Title 38, Veterans' Benefits

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110