DISTANCE Act

Summary:  Diversity in Science Technology and Nurturing Capable Educators Act or the DISTANCE Act This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Department of Education (ED) to award competitive merit-based scholarships to students who are pursuing bachelor's degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) with concurrent certification as kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school teachers. It requires scholarship recipients to work for at least five academic years as a full-time STEM teacher at a public or private kindergarten or elementary or secondary school during the seven-year period beginning within one year after they complete their studies. It awards scholarships for one academic year of study at a time, but makes them renewable on an annual basis if their recipients meet certain measures of academic progress. Scholarship recipients may enter into agreements with ED that provide them with a bonus in exchange for performing their service in a high-need local educational agency for a period equivalent to the period for which they receive the bonus. This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize ED to award competitive matching grants to up to 50 institutions of higher education to establish, strengthen, and operate four-year undergraduate degree programs that enable students to concurrently: (1) earn a STEM bachelor's degree; and (2) be certified to teach kindergarten, elementary, or secondary school. It awards those grants one fiscal year at a time, but makes them renewable on an annual basis for up to five years.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Diversity in Science Technology and 
Nurturing Capable Educators Act'' or the ``DISTANCE Act''.

SEC. 2. TEACHER RECRUITING.

    (a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to encourage 
individuals educated in science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics to enter and continue in the teaching profession, with the 
goal of attracting 10,000 of America's brightest students to the 
teaching profession over the next 5 years.
    (b) Scholarships.--Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1021 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating part C as part E;
            (2) by redesignating section 261 as section 281; and
            (3) by inserting after part B the following new part:

                  ``PART C--STEM TEACHER SCHOLARSHIPS

``SEC. 261. PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.

    ``The Secretary shall award scholarships, on a competitive basis 
and in accordance with this part, to students who are enrolled in 
studies leading to bachelor's degrees, with concurrent certification as 
kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school teachers, in science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics, and who have agreed to 
perform qualified service.

``SEC. 262. SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS.

    ``(a) Selection Criteria.--The Secretary shall develop selection 
criteria that the Secretary will use to award scholarships, and to 
renew those awards, based on established measurements of merit 
available to secondary students who wish to pursue degrees in science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics.
    ``(b) Applications.--Any student desiring to receive a scholarship 
under this part shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require.
    ``(c) Duration of Scholarships; Renewal.--Scholarships shall be 
awarded for only one academic year of study at a time, and shall be 
renewable on an annual basis for the established length of the 
recipient's academic program, not to exceed 6 academic years. The 
Secretary shall condition the renewal of scholarships on measures of 
academic progress and achievement.

``SEC. 263. QUALIFIED SERVICE REQUIREMENT.

    ``(a) Qualified Service Agreement.--Any student who receives a 
scholarship under this part shall enter into an agreement with the 
Secretary to complete no less than 5 academic years of qualified 
service during a 7-year period, to begin no later than 12 months 
following the completion of a bachelor's degree in science, technology, 
engineering, or mathematics.
    ``(b) Requirement Enforced.--The Secretary shall establish such 
requirements as the Secretary finds necessary to ensure that recipients 
of scholarships under this subsection who complete bachelor's degrees 
in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, with teacher 
certification, subsequently perform 5 academic years of qualified 
service during a 7-year period, or repay the portion of the scholarship 
received for which the recipient did not perform the required qualified 
service, as determined by the Secretary. The Secretary shall use any 
such repayments to carry out additional activities under this part.
    ``(c) Definition.--For the purpose of this section, the term 
`qualified service' means full-time employment at a public or private 
kindergarten, elementary school, or secondary school as a teacher of a 
course in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field.

``SEC. 264. AWARDS.

    ``(a) Scholarship Award.--The Secretary shall provide each 
recipient with a scholarship in the amount of up to $20,000 to pay for 
the cost of attendance of the student for each academic year the 
student is eligible to receive the scholarship. The Secretary shall 
transfer such funds to the institution of higher education at which the 
recipient is enrolled.
    ``(b) Bonus Award.--
            ``(1) Option for bonus award.--Any student who receives a 
        scholarship under this part may elect to enter into a bonus 
        agreement with the Secretary, in accordance with this 
        subsection, for any academic year during which the student 
        receives a scholarship under this part.
            ``(2) Bonus agreement.--A bonus agreement under paragraph 
        (1) shall provide that--
                    ``(A) the student shall perform one academic year 
                of the qualified service agreed to under section 263(a) 
                in a high-need local educational agency, as defined in 
                section 200; and
                    ``(B) the Secretary shall provide $10,000, in 
                addition to the amount the student receives under 
                subsection (a), for each academic year in which the 
                student enters into such bonus agreement.
            ``(3) Service requirement enforced.--The Secretary shall 
        establish such requirements as the Secretary finds necessary to 
        ensure that recipients of bonuses under this subsection fulfill 
        the qualified service requirement in a high-need local 
        educational agency, as defined in section 200, for a period of 
        time equivalent to the period for which the recipient receives 
        the bonus, or repays the portion of the bonus received for 
        which the recipient did not perform the required qualified 
        service in a high-need local educational agency, as determined 
        by the Secretary. The Secretary shall use any such repayments 
        to carry out additional activities under this subsection.
    ``(c) Maximum Award.--The maximum award any student may receive 
under this section for an academic year shall be the student's cost of 
attendance minus any grant aid such student receives from sources other 
than this section.

``SEC. 265. REGULATIONS.

    ``The Secretary is authorized to issue such regulations as may be 
necessary to carry out the provisions of this part.''.
    (c) Institutional Grants for Integrated Degree Programs.--Title II 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021 et seq.) is further 
amended by inserting after part C, as added by subsection (b) of this 
section, the following new part:

                  ``PART D--INTEGRATED DEGREE PROGRAMS

``SEC. 271. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to award grants to 
institutions of higher education, on a competitive basis, in order to 
pay for the Federal share of the cost of projects to establish, 
strengthen, and operate 4-year undergraduate degree programs through 
which students may concurrently--
            ``(1) earn a bachelor's degree in science, technology, 
        engineering, or mathematics; and
            ``(2) be certified to teach kindergarten, elementary, or 
        secondary school.
    ``(b) Grant Amount; Award Period.--The Secretary may award grants 
to no more than 50 institutions of higher education each fiscal year, 
and a grant to an institution for a fiscal year shall not exceed 
$1,000,000. Grants shall be awarded for only one fiscal year at a time, 
and shall be renewable on an annual basis for up to 5 years.

``SEC. 272. SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.

    ``(a) Criteria.--The Secretary shall set criteria to evaluate the 
applications for grants under this part and the projects proposed to 
establish, strengthen, and operate 4-year integrated undergraduate 
degree programs.
    ``(b) Equitable Distribution of Grants.--To the extent practicable 
and consistent with the criteria under subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall make grants under this part in such manner as to achieve an 
equitable distribution of the grant funds throughout the United States, 
considering geographic distribution, rural and urban areas, and range 
and type of institutions.

``SEC. 273. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.

    ``In order to receive a grant under this part, an institution of 
higher education shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require. Such application shall include the following:
            ``(1) A description of the proposed project.
            ``(2) A demonstration of--
                    ``(A) the commitment, including the financial 
                commitment, of the institution for the proposed 
                project; and
                    ``(B) the active support of the leadership of the 
                institution for the proposed project.
            ``(3) A description of how the proposed project will be 
        continued after Federal funds are no longer awarded under this 
        part for the project.
            ``(4) A plan for the evaluation of the project, which shall 
        include benchmarks to monitor progress toward specific project 
        objectives.

``SEC. 274. MATCHING REQUIREMENT.

    ``Each institution of higher education receiving a grant under this 
part shall provide, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to the 
amount of the grant (in cash or in-kind) to carry out the project 
supported by the grant.

``SEC. 275. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part 
$50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2016 through 2021.''.