republic-os/legal/us/code/title-38/chapter-76/section-7682.md

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LegalText	38 U.S.C. § 7682	Eligibility	us	united_states_code	code_section	38	VETERANS’ BENEFITS	76	HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM	7682	38 U.S.C. § 7682	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc38@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t38/s7682	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-38/usc38.xml	3210109cb1218463cc732e0dffbc06ab4ef3d9221b6dc1f622eaf67320bc7672	372998691b72ade88787dfa7633dbda4954bd1b037ec7926c5e06e9b1d17fc66	e6dc49d5fc4ec932e44fb263a7252bbd46ffbf62ccc28cd5e077e80ed419327b	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

38 U.S.C. § 7682 - Eligibility

Text

(a) Eligibility.— An individual is eligible to participate in the Education Debt Reduction Program if the individual—

(1) is an employee in the Veterans Health Administration serving in a position (as determined by the Secretary) providing direct-patient care services or services incident to direct-patient care services for which recruitment or retention of qualified health-care personnel (as so determined) is difficult; and

(2) owes any amount of principal or interest under a loan, the proceeds of which were used by or on behalf of that individual to pay costs relating to a course of education or training which led to a degree that qualified the individual for the position referred to in paragraph (1).

(b) Covered Costs.— For purposes of subsection (a)(2), costs relating to a course of education or training include—

(1) tuition expenses;

(2) all other reasonable educational expenses, including expenses for fees, books, and laboratory expenses; and

(3) reasonable living expenses.

(Added Pub. L. 105–368, title VIII, § 803(a), Nov. 11, 1998, 112 Stat. 3357; amended Pub. L. 107–135, title I, § 102(b), Jan. 23, 2002, 115 Stat. 2448; Pub. L. 111–163, title III, § 301(b), May 5, 2010, 124 Stat. 1146.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments2010—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 111–163, § 301(b)(1), substituted “an” for “a recently appointed”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 111–163, § 301(b)(2), struck out subsec. (c). Text read as follows: “For purposes of subsection (a), an individual shall be considered to be recently appointed to a position if the individual has held that position for less than 6 months.” 2002—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 107–135 substituted “in a position (as determined by the Secretary) providing direct-patient care services or services incident to direct-patient care services” for “under an appointment under section 7402(b) of this title in a position” and “(as so determined)” for “(as determined by the Secretary)”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Inclusion of Vet Center Employees in Education Debt Reduction Program of Department of Veterans AffairsPub. L. 115–182, title III, § 306, June 6, 2018, 132 Stat. 1470, provided that: “(a) In General.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that clinical staff working at Vet Centers are eligible to participate in the Education Debt Reduction Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs under subchapter VII of chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code. “(b) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act [June 6, 2018], the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the number of participants in the Education Debt Reduction Program of the Department under such subchapter who work at Vet Centers. “(c) Vet Center Defined.—In this section, the term ‘Vet Center’ has the meaning given that term in section 1712A(h) of title 38, United States Code.”

Temporary Expansion of Individuals Eligible for Participation in ProgramPub. L. 107–135, title I, § 102(e), Jan. 23, 2002, 115 Stat. 2449, granted the Secretary of Veterans Affairs authority to treat certain individuals as recently appointed employees in the Veterans Health Administration under subsec. (a) of this section for purposes of eligibility in the Education Debt Reduction Program under this subchapter but prohibited exercise of this authority after June 30, 2002.