((a)) A participant in the Tuition Reimbursement Program who fails to maintain employment as a Department employee permanently assigned to a Department health-care facility—

((1)) may not be provided reimbursement for tuition for the course or courses in which the participant is enrolled; and

((2)) in lieu of any service obligation arising from participation in the program, shall be liable to the United States for the amount which has been paid or is payable to or on behalf of the participant under the agreement, reduced by the proportion that the number of days served for completion of the service obligation bears to the total number of days in the participant’s period of obligated service.

((b)) Any amount of damages which the United States is entitled to recover under this section shall be paid to the United States within the one-year period beginning on the date of the breach of the agreement.