---
kind: "section"
citation: "25 U.S.C. § 1616m"
title: "25"
title_heading: "Indians"
number: "1616m"
heading: "Matching grants to tribes for scholarship programs"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/25/1616m"
units:
  - "Chapter 18 — Indian Health Care"
  - "Subchapter I — Indian Health Professional Personnel"
---

# §1616m. Matching grants to tribes for scholarship programs

- (a) **In general—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) shall make grants to [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) and [tribal organizations](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) for the purpose of assisting such tribes and [tribal organizations](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) in educating [Indians](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) to serve as health professionals in [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) communities.
  - (2) Amounts available for grants under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) for any fiscal year shall not exceed 5 percent of amounts available for such fiscal year for [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) Health Scholarships under [section 1613a of this title](/usc/25/1613a.md).
  - (3) An application for a grant under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) shall be in such form and contain such agreements, assurances, and information as the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) determines are necessary to carry out this section.
- (b) **Compliance with requirements—**
  - (1) An [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) receiving a grant under [subsection (a)](#a) shall agree to provide scholarships to [Indians](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) pursuing education in the [health professions](/usc/25/1603.md?p=10) in accordance with the requirements of this section.
  - (2) With respect to the costs of providing any scholarship pursuant to [paragraph (1)](#b-1)—
    - (A) 80 percent of the costs of the scholarship shall be paid from the grant made under [subsection (a)](#a) to the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26); and
    - (B) 20 percent of such costs shall be paid from non-Federal contributions by the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) through which the scholarship is provided.
  - (3) In determining the amount of non-Federal contributions that have been provided for purposes of [subparagraph (B)](#b-2-B) of paragraph (2), any amounts provided by the Federal Government to the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) involved or to any other entity shall not be included.
  - (4) Non-Federal contributions required by [subparagraph (B)](#b-2-B) of paragraph (2) may be provided directly by the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) involved or through donations from public and private entities.
- (c) **Course of study in health professions—** An [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) shall provide scholarships under [subsection (b)](#b) only to [Indians](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a course of study (approved by the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17)) in one of the [health professions](/usc/25/1603.md?p=10) described in [section 1613a(a) of this title](/usc/25/1613a.md?p=a).
- (d) **Contract requirements—** In providing scholarships under [subsection (b)](#b), the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) and the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) shall enter into a written contract with each recipient of such scholarship. Such contract shall—
  - (1) obligate such recipient to provide [service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) in an [Indian health program](/usc/25/1603.md?p=12) (as defined in [section 1616a(a)(2)(A) of this title](/usc/25/1616a.md?p=a-2-A)), in the same [service area](/usc/25/1603.md?p=19) where the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) providing the scholarship is located, for—
    - (A) a number of years equal to the number of years for which the scholarship is provided (or the part-time equivalent thereof, as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17)), or for a period of 2 years, whichever period is greater; or
    - (B) such greater period of time as the recipient and the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) may agree;
  - (2) provide that the amount of such scholarship—
    - (A) may be expended only for—
      - (i) tuition expenses, other reasonable educational expenses, and reasonable living expenses incurred in attendance at the educational institution; and
      - (ii) payment to the recipient of a monthly stipend of not more than the amount authorized by [section 254l(g)(1)(B)](/usc/42/254l.md?p=g-1-B) of title 42, such amount to be reduced pro rata (as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17)) based on the number of hours such student is enrolled; and
    - (B) may not exceed, for any year of attendance for which the scholarship is provided, the total amount required for the year for the purposes authorized in [subparagraph (A)](#d-2-A);
  - (3) require the recipient of such scholarship to maintain an acceptable level of academic standing (as determined by the educational institution in accordance with regulations issued by the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17)); and
  - (4) require the recipient of such scholarship to meet the educational and licensure requirements necessary to be a physician, certified nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, or physician assistant.
- (e) **Breach of contract—**
  - (1) An individual who has entered into a written contract with the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) and an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) under [subsection (d)](#d) and who—
    - (A) fails to maintain an acceptable level of academic standing in the educational institution in which he is enrolled (such level determined by the educational institution under regulations of the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17)),
    - (B) is dismissed from such educational institution for disciplinary reasons,
    - (C) voluntarily terminates the training in such an educational institution for which he is provided a scholarship under such contract before the completion of such training, or
    - (D) fails to accept payment, or instructs the educational institution in which he is enrolled not to accept payment, in whole or in part, of a scholarship under such contract,

    in lieu of any [service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) obligation arising under such contract, shall be liable to the United States for the Federal share of the amount which has been paid to him, or on his behalf, under the contract.

  - (2) If for any reason not specified in [paragraph (1)](#e-1), an individual breaches his written contract by failing either to begin such individual’s [service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) obligation required under such contract or to complete such [service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) obligation, the United States shall be entitled to recover from the individual an amount determined in accordance with the formula specified in subsection (l) of [section 1616a of this title](/usc/25/1616a.md) in the manner provided for in such subsection.
  - (3) The [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) may carry out this subsection on the basis of information submitted by the tribes or [tribal organizations](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) involved, or on the basis of information collected through such other means as the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) determines to be appropriate.
- (f) **Nondiscriminatory practice—** The recipient of a scholarship under [subsection (b)](#b) shall agree, in providing health care pursuant to the requirements of [subsection (d)(1)](#d-1)—
  - (1) not to discriminate against an individual seeking such care on the basis of the ability of the individual to pay for such care or on the basis that payment for such care will be made pursuant to the program established in title XVIII of the Social Security Act [[42 U.S.C. 1395](/usc/42/1395.md) et seq.] or pursuant to the program established in title XIX of such Act [[42 U.S.C. 1396](/usc/42/1396.md) et seq.]; and
  - (2) to accept assignment under section 1842(b)(3)(B)(ii) of the Social Security Act [[42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(3)(B)(ii)](/usc/42/1395u.md?p=b-3-B-ii)] for all [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) for which payment may be made under part B of title XVIII of such Act [[42 U.S.C. 1395j](/usc/42/1395j.md) et seq.], and to enter into an appropriate agreement with the State agency that administers the State plan for medical assistance under title XIX of such Act [[42 U.S.C. 1396](/usc/42/1396.md) et seq.] to provide [service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) to individuals entitled to medical assistance under the plan.
- (g) **Payments for subsequent fiscal years—** The [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) may not make any payments under [subsection (a)](#a) to an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) for any fiscal year subsequent to the first fiscal year of such payments unless the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) determines that, for the immediately preceding fiscal year, the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) has complied with requirements of this section.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 94–437, title I, § 120, as added Pub. L. 102–573, title I, § 112, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4540.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Social Security Act, referred to in subsec. (f), is act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, 49 Stat. 620. Titles XVIII and XIX of the Act are classified generally to subchapters XVIII (§ 1395 et seq.) and XIX (§ 1396 et seq.) of chapter 7 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, respectively. Part B of title XVIII of the Act is classified generally to part B (§ 1395j et seq.) of subchapter XVIII of chapter 7 of Title 42. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1305 of Title 42 and Tables.