Section 2397f · Grant adjustments

(1) If the sums appropriated for any fiscal year for grants under this part are not sufficient to pay in full the total amount which approved applicants are eligible to receive under this part for such fiscal year, the Secretary shall first allocate to each such applicant which received funds under this part for the preceding fiscal year an amount equal to 100 percent of the product of the per capita payment for the preceding fiscal year and such applicant's Indian student count for the current program year, plus an amount equal to the actual cost of any increase to the per capita figure resulting from inflationary increases to necessary costs beyond the institution's control.

(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the per capita payment for any fiscal year shall be determined by dividing the amount available for grants to tribally controlled postsecondary vocational institutions under this part for such program year by the sum of the Indian student counts of such institutions for such program year. The Secretary shall, on the basis of the most accurate data available from the institutions, compute the Indian student count for any fiscal year for which such count was not used for the purpose of making allocations under this part.

The Secretary shall, based on the most accurate data available from the institutions and Indian tribes whose Indian students are served under this part, in consideration of employment needs, economic development needs, population training needs, prepare an actual budget needs estimate for each institution eligible under this part for each subsequent program year, and submit such budget needs estimate to the Congress in such a timely manner as will enable the appropriate committees of the Congress to consider such needs data for purposes of the uninterrupted flow of adequate appropriations to such institutions.