---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 7473"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "7473"
heading: "Preference for Indian applicants"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/7473"
units:
  - "Chapter 70 — Strengthening and Improvement of Elementary and Secondary Schools"
  - "Subchapter VI — Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native Education"
  - "Part A — Indian Education"
  - "Subpart 4 — federal administration"
---

# §7473. Preference for Indian applicants


In making grants and entering into contracts or cooperative agreements under subpart 2 or subpart 3 of this part, the [Secretary](/usc/20/7801.md?p=46) shall give a preference to [Indian](/usc/20/7491.md?p=3) tribes, organizations, and institutions of higher education under any program with respect to which [Indian](/usc/20/7491.md?p=3) tribes, organizations, and institutions are eligible to apply for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements.


## Source credit

(Pub. L. 89–10, title VI, § 6143, formerly title VII, § 7143, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title VII, § 701, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1931; renumbered title VI, § 6143, Pub. L. 114–95, title VI, § 6001(a), (b)(1), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2046.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 7473, Pub. L. 89–10, title VII, § 7143, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3733, related to bilingual education teachers and personnel grants, prior to the general amendment of former subchapter VII of this chapter by Pub. L. 107–110.

A prior section 6143 of Pub. L. 89–10 was classified to section 7315b of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 114–95.