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A ‘GI Bill’ for Engineering Students |
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Written by Mike Buetow
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Wednesday, 03 October 2007 |
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WASHINGTON – Responding to the growing shortage of
engineers, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) in September introduced the
Strategic Technology/Engineering Program (STEP) Act of 2007 – “GI Bill style”
legislation that provides incentives for young people entering the engineering
profession.
The bill, H.R. 3634, creates new scholarships and loan
forgiveness for engineering students working toward their P.E. license.
“Our nation needs to make much more efficient use of the
available resources by recruiting students from our best and brightest high
school graduates and encourage them to go on to college to become our next
generation of engineers,” Cleaver said in a statement. “This legislation will
help support engineering students as they complete an education for an industry
that will always be in demand.”
The number of U.S. engineering graduates has steadily
declined in the last two decades, according to the National Science Foundation.
In addition, over 25% of the science and engineering workforce is older than 50
and expected to retire over the next 15 years.
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