42 U.S.C. § 293c — Educational assistance in the health professions regarding individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds

(a) In general: (1) Authority for grants: To help individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, as determined under criteria the Secretary sets, undertake education to enter a health profession, the Secretary may give grants to, and contract with, schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, public health, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, pharmacy, allied health, chiropractic, and podiatric medicine; public and nonprofit private schools offering graduate programs in behavioral and mental health; physician assistant training programs; and other public or private nonprofit health or educational entities, to help meet the costs described in paragraph (2). (2) Authorized expenditures — a grant or contract may be used by the entity to meet the cost of: (A) identifying, recruiting, and selecting disadvantaged individuals for education and training in a health profession; (B) helping such individuals enter that school; (C) providing counseling, mentoring, or other services to help them successfully complete their education there; (D) providing preliminary education and health research training, before they enter their regular coursework, to help them succeed — or referring them to institutions that provide that preliminary education; (E) publicizing existing financial aid available to students in the program, or to those undertaking required training; (F) paying scholarships the Secretary determines appropriate for such individuals during any period of health professions education; (G) paying stipends the Secretary may approve for such individuals during any period of education in student-enhancement programs (other than regular coursework), for no more than 12 months per individual, in an amount the Secretary determines appropriate (notwithstanding any other law about stipend amounts); (H) running programs in which such individuals gain experience providing health services in primary health care, through work at facilities of public or nonprofit community-based providers; and (I) developing a larger, more competitive applicant pool through partnerships with colleges, school districts, and other community-based entities. (3) Definition: In this section, "regular course of education of such a school," as used in subparagraph (D), includes a graduate program in behavioral or mental health. (b) Requirements for awards: In making awards under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary gives preference to applications for programs involving a comprehensive approach by several public or nonprofit private health or education entities, aimed at building a competitive applicant pool of disadvantaged individuals interested in health professions careers. For such a comprehensive partnership approach, the Secretary also considers whether the entity involved: (1) has shown a demonstrated commitment to that approach through formal agreements sharing common objectives with colleges, school districts, and community-based entities; (2) has agreements that reflect coordinated education activities and support services, increased linkages, and pooled resources within a specific geographic area; (3) has designed education activities to build a competitive applicant pool of disadvantaged individuals by improving their overall academic and social readiness; and (4) runs programs focused on developing a culturally competent health care workforce that will serve unserved and underserved populations in that area. (c) Equitable allocation of financial assistance: To the extent practicable, the Secretary must make sure services and activities under subsection (a) are adequately allocated among the various racial and ethnic populations who are from disadvantaged backgrounds. (d) Matching requirements: The Secretary may require an entity applying for a grant or contract under subsection (a) to provide non-Federal matching funds, as appropriate, to ensure the entity's institutional commitment to the funded project. Such matching funds may be provided directly by the entity or through donations from public or private entities, and may be cash or in-kind — such as buildings, equipment, or services — as long as they are fairly evaluated.