---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 51102"
title: "46"
title_heading: "Shipping"
number: "51102"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/51102"
units:
  - "Subtitle V — Merchant Marine"
  - "Part B — Merchant Marine Service"
  - "Chapter 511 — General"
---

# §51102. Definitions


In this part:

- (1) **Academy.—** The term “Academy” means the [United States](/usc/46/53101.md?p=10) Merchant Marine Academy located at Kings Point, New York, and maintained under [chapter 513](/usc/46/chstV/ptB/ch513.md) of this title.
- (2) **Cost of education provided.—** The term “cost of education provided” means the financial costs incurred by the [United States](/usc/46/53101.md?p=10) Government for providing training or financial assistance to students at the [Academy](#1) and the [State maritime academies](#4), including direct financial assistance, room, board, classroom academics, and other training activities.
- (3) **Merchant marine officer.—** The term “merchant marine officer” means an individual issued a license by the [Coast Guard](/usc/46/2101.md?p=2) authorizing service as—
  - (A) a master, mate, or pilot on a documented [vessel](/usc/46/53501.md?p=9) that—
    - (i) is of at least 1,000 gross tons as measured under [section 14502 of this title](/usc/46/14502.md) or an alternate tonnage measured under [section 14302 of this title](/usc/46/14302.md) as prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) under [section 14104 of this title](/usc/46/14104.md); and
    - (ii) operates on the oceans or the Great Lakes; or
  - (B) an engineer officer on a documented [vessel](/usc/46/53501.md?p=9) propelled by machinery of at least 4,000 horsepower.
- (4) **State maritime academy.—** The term “State maritime academy” means—
  - (A) a [State maritime academy](#4) or college sponsored by a State and assisted under [chapter 515](/usc/46/chstV/ptB/ch515.md) of this title; and
  - (B) a regional maritime [academy](#1) or college sponsored by a group of States and assisted under [chapter 515](/usc/46/chstV/ptB/ch515.md) of this title.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 109–304, § 8(b), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1568.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 51102 | 46 App.:1295a. | June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title XIII, § 1302, as added Pub. L. 96–453, § 2, Oct. 15, 1980, 94 Stat. 1997; Pub. L. 97–31, § 12(143), Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 166; Pub. L. 104–324, title VII, § 708, Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3934; Pub. L. 108–136, title XXXV, § 3515(a), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1792. |

The definition of “Secretary” is omitted as unnecessary because the full title is used the first time the term appears in each section.

In the definition of “merchant marine office”, the words “documented vessel” are substituted for “vessel . . . which is documented under the laws of the United States” because of the definition of “documented vessel” in 46 U.S.C. 2101, which is being moved to chapter 1 of the revised title.

In the definition of “State maritime academy”, the words “or territory of the United States” and “or territories of the United States” are omitted as unnecessary because of the definition of “State” in chapter 1 of the revised title.