Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§293a Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students

Title 42 › CHAPTER 6A — PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER V — HEALTH PROFESSIONS EDUCATION › Part B — Health Professions Training for Diversity › § 293a

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can give grants to qualifying schools so those schools can award scholarships to full-time students who meet the rules below. The scholarships can only pay tuition, other reasonable school costs, and reasonable living costs while the student attends school. Schools that get grants must favor students for whom school costs would be a severe financial hardship. They must also give preference to former scholarship recipients under sections 293 and 293d(d)(2)(B) as those sections existed on the day before November 13, 1998. When deciding which schools to fund first, the Secretary should favor schools with more graduates going into primary care, more underrepresented minority students, and more graduates working in medically underserved communities. Eligible entities: health-related schools and programs (for example medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, veterinary medicine, public health, chiropractic, allied health, graduate behavioral/mental health programs, and physician assistant training) that run programs to recruit and keep students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Eligible individual: a student from a disadvantaged background who needs a scholarship and is enrolled or accepted full-time in an eligible health or nursing program.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §293a

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general
The Secretary may make a grant to an eligible entity (as defined in subsection (d)(1)) under this section for the awarding of scholarships by schools to any full-time student who is an eligible individual as defined in subsection (d). Such scholarships may be expended only for tuition expenses, other reasonable educational expenses, and reasonable living expenses incurred in the attendance of such school.
(b)Preference in providing scholarships
The Secretary may not make a grant to an entity under subsection (a) unless the health professions and nursing schools involved agree that, in providing scholarships pursuant to the grant, the schools will give preference to students for whom the costs of attending the schools would constitute a severe financial hardship and, notwithstanding other provisions of this section, to former recipients of scholarships under section 293 and 293d(d)(2)(B) of this title (as such sections existed on the day before November 13, 1998).
(c)Amount of award
In awarding grants to eligible entities that are health professions and nursing schools, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities based on the proportion of graduating students going into primary care, the proportion of underrepresented minority students, and the proportion of graduates working in medically underserved communities.
(d)Definitions
In this section: (1) Eligible entities
(2)Eligible individual
The term “eligible individual” means an individual who—
(A)is from a disadvantaged background;
(B)has a financial need for a scholarship; and
(C)is enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at an eligible health professions or nursing school as a full-time student in a program leading to a degree in a health profession or nursing.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 293a, act
July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 737, as added Pub. L. 102–408, title I, § 102, Oct. 13, 1992, 106 Stat. 2023, authorized grants to health professions schools for provision of scholarships and undergraduate assistance, prior to the general amendment of this part by Pub. L. 105–392. Another prior section 293a, act
July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 721, as added Sept. 24, 1963, Pub. L. 88–129, § 2(b), 77 Stat. 165; amended Sept. 4, 1964, Pub. L. 88–581, § 3(b), 78 Stat. 919; Oct. 22, 1965, Pub. L. 89–290, §§ 3(b), (c), 5(a), 79 Stat. 1056–1058; Nov. 2, 1966, Pub. L. 89–709, § 2(b), 80 Stat. 1103; Aug. 16, 1968, Pub. L. 90–490, title I, §§ 103(a)(3), 105(a), (b), 82 Stat. 774; Nov. 18, 1971, Pub. L. 92–157, title I, §§ 102(e), (f)(1), (2)(A), (g), (h), (j)(2), (3), (7)(A), 108(b)(1), 85 Stat. 434–437, 461; Oct. 12, 1976, Pub. L. 94–484, title III, §§ 301, 303, 308(a), 90 Stat. 2253, 2254, 2256; Aug. 1, 1977, Pub. L. 95–83, title III, § 307(b), 91 Stat. 389; Oct. 17, 1979, Pub. L. 96–88, title III, § 301(a)(1), title V, § 507, 93 Stat. 677, 692; Aug. 13, 1981, Pub. L. 97–35, title XXVII, §§ 2723(c), (d), 2724(a), 95 Stat. 916; Nov. 4, 1988, Pub. L. 100–607, title VI, §§ 628(4), 629(b)(2), 102 Stat. 3145, 3146; Aug. 16, 1989, Pub. L. 101–93, § 5(o)(1), 103 Stat. 614, related to applications and eligibility for grants for

Construction

of teaching facilities for medical, dental, and other health personnel, prior to the general revision of this subchapter by Pub. L. 102–408. A prior section 737 of act July 1, 1944, was classified to section 294j of this title prior to the general revision of this subchapter by Pub. L. 102–408.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 293a

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110