The Secretary of Defense may provide for the payment of all educational expenses incurred by a member of the program, including tuition, fees, books, and laboratory expenses. Such payments, however, shall be limited to those educational expenses normally incurred by students at the institution and in the health profession concerned who are not members of the program.

The Secretary of Defense may contract with an accredited civilian educational institution for the payment of tuition and other educational expenses of members of the program authorized by this subchapter. Payment to such institutions may be made without regard to subsections (a) and (b) of section 3324 of title 31.

Payments made under subsection (b) shall not cover any expenses other than those covered by subsection (a).

When the Secretary of Defense determines, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, that an accredited civilian educational institution has increased its total enrollment for the sole purpose of accepting members of the program covered by this subchapter, he may provide under a contract with such an institution for additional payments to cover the portion of the increased costs of the additional enrollment which are not covered by the institution’s normal tuition and fees.

A person participating as a member of the program in specialized training shall be paid an annual grant in an amount not to exceed $45,000 in addition to the stipend under section 2121(d) of this title. The maximum amount of the grant shall be increased annually by the Secretary of Defense, effective July 1 of each year, in the same manner as provided for stipends.

(Added Pub. L. 92–426, § 2(a), Sept. 21, 1972, 86 Stat. 718; amended Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 511(67), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2926; Pub. L. 97–258, § 3(b)(3), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1063; Pub. L. 98–525, title XIV, § 1405(56)(A), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2626; Pub. L. 100–180, div. A, title VII, § 711(a)(2), Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1108; Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title VII, § 725(d)(1), (2), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1479; Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title V, § 538(b), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2209; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title X, § 1073(a)(19), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2473.)