The Secretary may make grants to State or local governments (that have in effect preventive medical and dental public health residency programs) or public or nonprofit private educational entities (including graduate schools of social work and business schools that have health management programs) that offer a program described in subsection (b)—

(1) to provide traineeships for students enrolled in such a program; and

(2) to assist accredited programs health administration in the development or improvement of programs to prepare students for employment with public or nonprofit private entities.

The program referred to in subsection (a) is an accredited program in health administration, hospital administration, or health policy analysis and planning, which program is accredited by a body or bodies approved for such purpose by the Secretary of Education and which meets such other quality standards as the Secretary of Health and Human Services by regulation may prescribe.

In making grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give preference to qualified applicants that meet the following conditions:

(1) Not less than 25 percent of the graduates of the applicant are engaged in full-time practice settings in medically underserved communities.

(2) The applicant recruits and admits students from medically underserved communities.

(3) For the purpose of training students, the applicant has established relationships with public and nonprofit providers of health care in the community involved.

(4) In training students, the applicant emphasizes employment with public or nonprofit private entities.

Traineeships awarded under grants made under subsection (a) shall provide for tuition and fees and such stipends and allowances (including travel and subsistence expenses and dependency allowances) for the trainees as the Secretary may deem necessary.

(1) Use of grant Traineeships awarded under grants made under subsection (a) shall provide for tuition and fees and such stipends and allowances (including travel and subsistence expenses and dependency allowances) for the trainees as the Secretary may deem necessary.

(2) Preference for certain students Each entity applying for a grant under subsection (a) for traineeships shall assure to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the entity will give priority to awarding the traineeships to students who demonstrate a commitment to employment with public or nonprofit private entities in the fields with respect to which the traineeships are awarded.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 769, as added Pub. L. 105–392, title I, § 105, Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3556.)