§ 17.607 Obligated service. ( a ) *General.* Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, each participant is obligated to provide service as a Department of Veterans Affairs employee in full-time clinical practice in the participant's discipline in an assignment or location determined by the Secretary. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 7616(a))
( b ) *Beginning of service.* ( 1 ) ( i ) *Date of employment.* Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, a participant's obligated service will begin on the date VA appoints the participant as a full-time VA employee in a clinical occupation for which the degree prepared the participant. VA will appoint the participant to such position as soon as possible, but no later than 90 days after the date that the participant receives his or her degree, or the date the participant becomes licensed in a State or becomes certified, whichever is later. VA will actively assist and monitor participants to ensure State licenses or certificates are obtained in a minimal amount of time following graduation. If a participant fails to obtain his or her degree, or fails to become licensed in a State or become certified no later than 180 days after receiving the degree, the participant is considered to be in breach of the acceptance agreement.
( ii ) *Notification.* VA will notify the participant of the work assignment and its location no later than 60 days before the date on which the participant must begin work.
( iii ) *VA mentor.* VA will ensure that the participant is assigned a mentor who is employed at the same facility where the participant performs his or her obligated service at the commencement of such service.
( 2 ) Obligated service shall begin on the degree completion date for a participant who, on that date, is a full-time VA employee working in a capacity for which the degree program prepared the participant. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 7616(b), 7616(c), 7618(a))
( c ) *Duration of service* — ( 1 ) *Full-time student* — ( i ) *Physician or dentist.* A participant who attended school as a full-time student will agree to serve as a full-time physician or dentist in the Veterans Health Administration for 18 months for each school year or part thereof for which a scholarship was awarded.
( ii ) *Other health care profession.* A participant who attended school as a full-time student in a health care profession other than physician or dentist will agree to serve as a full-time clinical employee in the Veterans Health Administration for 1 calendar year for each school year or part thereof for which a scholarship was awarded, but for no less than 2 years.
( 2 ) *Part-time student.* Obligated service to VA for a participant who attended school as a part-time student must be satisfied by full-time clinical employment. The period of obligated service will be reduced from that which a full-time student must serve under paragraph (c)(1) of this section in accordance with the proportion that the number of credit hours carried by the part-time student in any school year bears to the number of credit hours required to be carried by a full-time student who is pursuing the same degree; however, the period of obligated service will not be for less than 1 year. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 7612(c)(1)(B), 7612(c)(3)(A), 7618(c))
( d ) *Location for service.* VA reserves the right to make final decisions on the location for service obligation. A participant who receives a scholarship as a full-time student must be willing to relocate to another geographic location to carry out his or her service obligation according to the participant's mobility agreement. A participant who received a scholarship as a part-time student may be allowed to serve the period of obligated service at the health care facility where the individual was assigned when the scholarship was authorized, if there is a vacant position which will satisfy the individual's mobility agreement at that facility. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 7616(a))
( e ) *Creditability of advanced clinical training.* No period of advanced clinical training will be credited toward satisfying the period of obligated service incurred under the Scholarship Program.
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 7616(b)(3)(A)(ii)
[47 FR 10810, Mar. 12, 1982, as amended at 48 FR 37400, Aug. 18, 1983; 54 FR 28675, July 7, 1989; 78 FR 51070, Aug. 20, 2013; 85 FR 13053, Mar. 6, 2020]