§1862o–13 Professional Science Master’s Degree Programs

Summary

Creates a clearinghouse and a grant program to help four-year colleges build or improve professional science master’s degree programs. The Director must set up the clearinghouse with colleges, employers, and federal agencies that hire science-trained workers. The clearinghouse will share the successful program elements and must be available to colleges that are developing these degrees. The Director must give grants to four-year colleges to help start or strengthen programs that focus on practical workplace training in high-need fields and on college–industry ties. Colleges applying must describe the program, explain how it prepares workers for high-need jobs, show how much non-Federal money they will use, and promise to encourage students to apply for federal aid (including fellowships and student aid under Titles IV and VII of the Higher Education Act). Preference goes to colleges in States with low graduate-degree rates that show employer partnerships, or to schools that cover more than two-thirds of costs from non-Federal sources. Up to 200 colleges may get grants. Grants last 3 years and can be renewed once for up to 2 more years. The Director must set performance benchmarks with partners, evaluate each funded program each year, stop funding programs that fail the benchmarks, and send results and recommendations to Congress within 180 days after each evaluation.