United States v. Hector L. Westerband-Garcia, AKA Hector L. Westerband

O’SCANNLAIN, Circuit Judge:

We must decide whether the government is barred by a statute of limitations from bringing an action to recover damages from a defaulting scholarship recipient.

I

In 1979, Hector Westerband-Garcia signed an agreement to participate in the National Health Service Corps (“NHSC”) Scholarship Program. As a NHSC Scholarship recipient, he received money from the United States to pay for medical school and in return agreed to serve as a doctor in a hospital designated by the government. He received $13,253 under this agreement.

Westerband-Garcia graduated from medical school…