---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 302"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "302"
heading: "Method of apportionment and selection; issuance of land scrip"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/302"
units:
  - "Chapter 13 — Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges"
  - "Subchapter I — College-Aid Land Appropriation"
---

# §302. Method of apportionment and selection; issuance of land scrip


The land aforesaid, after being surveyed, shall be apportioned to the several [States](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) in sections or subdivisions of sections, not less than one-quarter of a section; and whenever there are public lands in a [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) subject to sale at private entry at $1.25 per acre, the quantity to which said [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) shall be entitled shall be selected from such lands within the limits of such [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5), and the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) of the Interior is directed to issue to each of the [States](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) in which there is not the quantity of public lands subject to sale at private entry at $1.25 per acre, to which said [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) may be entitled under the provisions of this subchapter, land scrip to the amount in acres for the deficiency of its distributive share; said scrip to be sold by said [States](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) and the proceeds thereof applied to the uses and purposes prescribed in said sections, and for no other use or purpose whatsoever: Provided, That in no case shall any [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) to which land scrip may thus be issued be allowed to locate the same within the limits of any other [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5), or of any Territory of the United States, but their assignees may thus locate said land scrip upon any of the unappropriated lands of the United States subject to sale at private entry at $1.25, or less, per acre: And provided further, That not more than one million acres shall be located by such assignees in any one of the [States](/usc/7/198.md?p=5): And provided further, That no such location shall be made before July 2, 1863.


## Source credit

(July 2, 1862, ch. 130, § 2, 12 Stat. 503.)