46 USC § 51510 - Deferment of service obligation under student incentive payment agreements

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s51510"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "46 USC § 51510 - Deferment of service obligation under student incentive payment agreements"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
section_number: "51510"
section_name: "Deferment of service obligation under student incentive payment agreements"
chapter_number: 515
chapter_name: "STATE MARITIME ACADEMY SUPPORT PROGRAM"
part_number: "B"
part_name: "Merchant Marine Service"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 109–304, § 8(b), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1581.)"
---


# § 51510. Deferment of service obligation under student incentive payment agreements

section 51509(d)(5) of this title

The Secretary of Transportation may defer the service commitment of an individual under  (as specified in the agreement under section 51509) for not more than 2 years if the individual is engaged in a graduate course of study approved by the Secretary. However, deferment of service as a commissioned officer on active duty must be approved by the Secretary of the affected military department (or the Secretary of Commerce, for service with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 109–304, § 8(b), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1581.)

| RevisedSection | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 51510 | 46 App.:1295c(g)(7). | June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title XIII, § 1304(g)(7), as added Pub. L. 96–453, § 2, Oct. 15, 1980, 94 Stat. 2006; Pub. L. 97–31, § 12(145)(B), Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 166; Pub. L. 108–136, title XXXV, § 3515(d)(7), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1795. |

The words “affected military department” are substituted for “military department . . . which has jurisdiction over such service” for clarity and to eliminate unnecessary words.