Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Professional Readiness Education Preparation Act or the STEM PREP Act of 2015
This bill amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to replace the TECH prep grant program with a STEM prep grant program for career and technical education programs focused on training students to enter the STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) fields.
A grant-receiving consortium may include a nonprofit institution of higher education offering a one-year certificate program or a one-year apprenticeship program.
The duration of a STEM program, currently 4- to 6-years, may extend from a 3-year to a 6-year length.
Special consideration shall be given to consortium applications showcasing curricula that lead to greater critical thinking and problem solving skills by incorporating fine arts into the STEM prep program.
A matching grant requirement is established for program eligibility.