Higher Education: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Trends and the Role of Federal Programs
Published: 2006-05-03T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: The United States is a world leader in scientific and technological innovation. To help maintain this advantage, the federal government has spent billions of dollars on education programs in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields for many years. However, concerns have been raised about the nation's ability to maintain its global technological competitive advantage in the future. This testimony is based on our October 2005 report and presents information on (1) trends in degree attainment in STEM- and non-STEM-related fields and factors that may influence these trends, (2) trends in the levels of employment in STEM- and non-STEM- related fields and factors that may influence these trends, and (3) federal education programs intended to support the study of and employment in STEM-related fields. For this report, we analyzed survey responses from 13 civilian federal departments and agencies; analyzed data from the Departments of Education and Labor; interviewed educators, federal agency officials, and representatives from education associations and organizations; and interviewed students.
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: While postsecondary enrollment has increased over the past decade, the proportion of students obtaining degrees in STEM fields has fallen. In academic year 1994-1995, about 519,000 students (32 percent) obtained STEM degrees. About 578,000 students obtained STEM degrees in academic year 2003-2004, accounting for 27 percent of degrees awarded. Despite increases in enrollment and degree attainment by women and minorities at the graduate level, the number of graduate degrees conferred fell in several STEM-related fields from academic year 1994-1995 to academic year 2003-2004. College and university officials and students most often cited subpar teacher quality and poor high school preparation as factors that discouraged the pursuit of STEM degrees. Suggestions to encourage more enrollment in STEM fields include increased outreach and mentoring. The past decade has seen an increase in STEM employees, particularly in mathematics and computer science. From 1994 to 2003, employment in STEM fields increased by an estimated 23 percent, compared to 17 percent in non-STEM fields. Mathematics and computer science showed the highest increase in STEM-related employment, and employment in science-related fields increased as well. However, in certain STEM fields, including engineering, the number of employees did not increase significantly. Further, while the estimated number of women, African-Americans, and Hispanic-Americans employed in STEM fields increased, women and minorities remained underrepresented relative to their numbers in the civilian labor force. The number of foreign workers employed in the United States has fluctuated, experiencing declines in 2002 and 2003. Key factors affecting STEM employment decisions include mentoring for women and minorities and opportunities abroad for foreign employees. Thirteen federal civilian agencies spent approximately $2.8 billion in fiscal year 2004 to fund over 200 programs designed to increase the numbers of students in STEM fields and employees in STEM occupations and to improve related educational programs. The funding reported for individual STEM education programs varied significantly, and programs most commonly provided financial support to students or infrastructure support to institutions. However, only half of these programs had been evaluated or had evaluations underway, and coordination among STEM education programs was limited. It is important to know the extent to which existing STEM education programs target the right people and the right areas and make the best use of available resources. Since our report was issued in October 2005, Congress, in addition to establishing new grants to encourage students from low-income families to enroll in STEM fields, established an Academic Competitiveness Council to identify, evaluate, coordinate, and improve federal STEM programs.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: Thank you for inviting me here today to discuss U.S. trends in the fields of  science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in relation to  the changing domestic and global economies. The health of the U.S.  economy is directly tied to our science and technology industries, and the  United States is a world leader in scientific and technological innovation.  Since 1995, for example, the United States has generated the largest share  of high-technology manufacturing output of any country in the world.  Concerns have been raised, however, about the nation’s ability to maintain  its technological competitive advantage, especially in light of other  nations’ investments in their own research infrastructures, the aging and  changing U.S. workforce, and the fiscal challenges facing the nation. From  1990 to 2003, research and development expenditures outside the United  States have more than doubled, from about $225 billion to over $500  billion. According to the Census Bureau, the median age of the U.S.  population in 2004 was the highest it had ever been, and the growth of the  labor force is expected to slow considerably, becoming negligible by 2050.  Further, as the United States becomes a more diverse society, minorities,  in addition to women, will continue to represent a continuously increasing  share of the workforce, yet women and minorities have tended to be  underrepresented in STEM education programs and career fields. These  factors, concurrent with the nation’s large and growing long-term fiscal  imbalance, present significant and difficult challenges for policymakers as  they tackle how best to ensure that our nation can continue to compete in  the global marketplace.
My testimony today will focus on three key issues: (1) trends in degree  attainment in STEM- and non-STEM-related fields and factors that may  influence these trends, (2) trends in the levels of employment in STEM-  and non-STEM-related fields and factors that may influence these trends,  and (3) federal education programs intended to support the study of and  employment in STEM-related fields. My comments are based on the  findings from our October 2005 report, Higher Education: Federal  Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Programs and  Related Trends. Those findings were based on our review and analysis of  data from a variety of sources. For that report we (1) analyzed survey  responses from 13 federal departments and agencies with STEM education  programs; (2) analyzed data on students and graduates from the  Department of Education’s (Education) National Center for Education  Statistics (NCES) and on employees from the Department of Labor’s  (Labor) Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); (3) interviewed educators and  administrators at eight colleges and universities, federal agency officials,  and representatives from associations and education organizations;  (4) conducted interviews via e-mail with 31 students from five universities  we visited; and (5) reviewed reports on various topics related to STEM  education and occupations. For this testimony, we provide updated  information concerning the number of graduates in STEM and non-STEM  fields as well as congressional legislation related to STEM education  programs. Our work was conducted in accordance with generally  accepted government auditing standards.
In summary, our findings are as follows:   While postsecondary enrollment has increased over the past decade, the  proportion of students obtaining degrees in STEM fields has fallen. In  academic year 1994–1995, about 519,000 students obtained STEM degrees,  about 32 percent of all degrees awarded. More students—approximately  578,000—obtained STEM degrees in academic year 2003–2004, but such  degrees accounted for only 27 percent of those awarded. While the  number of degrees obtained in some STEM fields increased, the number of  degrees obtained in engineering, biological science, and certain technical  fields declined. Further, despite increases in the overall enrollment and  degree attainment by women and minorities at the graduate level, the  number of graduate degrees conferred fell in several STEM-related fields  from academic year 1994–1995 to academic year 2003–2004. College and  university officials and students cited subpar teacher quality at the high  school and college levels, poor high school preparation, more rigorous and  expensive degree requirements for STEM majors, and lower pay of STEM  occupations relative to such fields as law and business as factors that  discouraged students from pursuing degrees in STEM fields. Suggestions  to encourage more enrollment in STEM fields include increased outreach  at the kindergarten through 12th grade level, increased mentoring, and a  greater federal presence.
Coinciding with the spread of the Internet and the personal computer,  the past decade has seen an increase in the overall number of STEM  employees, particularly in mathematics and computer science. From 1994  to 2003, overall employment in STEM fields increased by an estimated 23  percent, compared to an estimated 17 percent increase in non-STEM  fields. Mathematics and computer science showed the highest increase in  STEM-related employment—estimated at 78 percent—while employment  in science-related fields increased an estimated 20 percent. However, in  certain STEM fields, including engineering, the number of employees did  not increase significantly over the 1994–2003 period. Further, while the  estimated number of women employed in STEM fields increased, there  was not a significant change in the percentage they comprised. While the  number of African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans employed in STEM  fields increased from 1994 to 2003, minorities remained underrepresented  relative to their numbers in the civilian labor force. Although foreign  workers have filled more than 100,000 positions annually, many in STEM  fields, through the H–1B visa program, employment levels declined in 2002  and 2003 after several years of increases.  Key factors affecting STEM  employment decisions include mentoring for women and minorities and  opportunities abroad for foreign employees.
The federal government spent approximately $2.8 billion in fiscal year  2004 to fund over 200 programs designed to increase the numbers of  students in STEM fields and employees in STEM occupations and to  improve related educational programs. Thirteen federal civilian agencies  operated these programs, and most programs provided either financial  support to individuals, particularly to students and scholars, or equipment,  building, and other infrastructure support to institutions. The funding  reported for individual STEM education programs varied significantly,  from $4,000 for a U.S. Department of Agriculture-sponsored program to  $547 million for a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant program.  However, only half of these programs had been evaluated or had  evaluations underway, and coordination among STEM education programs  was limited. As we note in our 2005 report, it is important to know the  extent to which existing STEM education programs target the right people  and the right areas and make the best use of available resources before  expanding federal support.
Since our report was issued in October 2005, several initiatives to improve  federal support have taken place. For example, Congress established  National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART)  Grants to encourage students from low-income families to enroll in STEM  fields and foreign languages critical to the national security of the United  States. In addition, Congress established an Academic Competitiveness  Council, chaired by the Secretary of Education, to identify, evaluate,  coordinate, and improve federal STEM programs. Further, according to  Education, the department plans to determine which federal programs  work best for students and how to use taxpayers’ dollars more efficiently,  as well has how to align programs with the accountability principles of the  No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA).
subsections: section_title: Background
paragraphs: STEM fields include a wide range of disciplines and occupations, including  agriculture, physics, psychology, medical technology, and automotive  engineering. Many of these fields require completion of advanced courses  in mathematics or science, subjects that are first introduced and  developed at the kindergarten through 12th grade level. The federal  government, universities and colleges, and other entities have taken steps  to help improve achievement in these and other subjects through such  actions as enforcement of NCLBA, which addresses both student and  teacher performance at the elementary and secondary school levels, and  implementation of programs to increase the numbers of women,  minorities, and students with disadvantaged backgrounds in the STEM  fields at postsecondary school levels and later in employment.
The participation of domestic students in STEM fields—and in higher  education more generally—is affected both by the economy and by  demographic changes in the U.S. population. Enrollment in higher  education has declined with upturns in the economy because of the  increased opportunity costs of going to school when relatively high wages  are available. The choice between academic programs is also affected by  the wages expected to be earned after obtaining a degree. Demographic  trends affect STEM fields because different races and ethnicities have had  different enrollment rates, and their representation in the population is  changing. In particular, STEM fields have had a relatively high proportion  of white or Asian males, but the proportion of other minorities enrolled in  the nation’s public schools, particularly Hispanics, has almost doubled  since 1972. Furthermore, as of 2002, American Indians, Asians, African- Americans, Hispanics, and Pacific Islanders constituted 29 percent of all  college students.
Students and employees from foreign countries have pursued STEM  degrees and worked in STEM occupations in the United States as well. To  do so, these students and employees must obtain education or  employment visas. Visas may not be issued to students for a number of  reasons, including concerns that the visa applicant may engage in the  illegal transfer of sensitive technology. Many foreign workers enter the  United States annually through the H–1B visa program, which assists U.S.  employers in temporarily filling specialty occupations. Employed workers  may stay in the United States on an H–1B visa for up to 6 years, and the  current cap on the number of H–1B visas that can be granted is 65,000. The  law exempts certain workers from this cap, including those in specified  positions or holding a master’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution.
The federal government also plays a role in helping coordinate federal  science and technology initiatives. The National Science and Technology  Council (NSTC) was established in 1993 and is the principal means for the  Administration to coordinate science and technology policies. One  objective of NSTC is to establish clear national goals for federal science  and technology investments in areas ranging from information  technologies and health research to improving transportation systems and  strengthening fundamental research.
section_title: The Proportion of Students Obtaining Degrees in STEM Fields Has Fallen, and Teacher Quality and High School Preparation Were Cited as Influential Factors
paragraphs: From the 1994–1995 academic year to the 2003–2004 academic year, the  number of graduates with STEM degrees increased, but the proportion of  students obtaining degrees in STEM fields fell. Teacher quality, academic  preparation, collegiate degree requirements, and the pay for employment  in STEM fields were cited by university officials and Education as factors  affecting the pursuit of degrees in these fields.
subsections: section_title: Total Number of Graduates with STEM Degrees Increased, but Numbers Decreased in Some Fields, and Proportions of Minority Graduates at the Master’s and Doctoral Levels Did Not Change
paragraphs: The number of graduates with degrees in STEM fields increased from  approximately 519,000 to approximately 578,000 from the 1994–1995  academic year to the 2003–2004 academic year. However, during this same  period, the number of graduates with degrees in non-STEM fields  increased from about 1.1 million to 1.5 million. Thus, the percentage of  students with STEM degrees decreased from about 32 percent to about  27 percent of total graduates. The largest increases at the bachelor’s and  master’s levels were in mathematics and the computer sciences, and the  largest increase at the doctoral level was in psychology. However, the  overall number of students earning degrees in engineering decreased in  this period, and the number of students earning doctoral degrees in the  physical sciences and bachelor’s degrees in technology-related fields, as  well as several other fields, also declined. Figure 1 shows the number of  graduates for STEM and non-STEM fields in the 1994–1995 through 2003– 2004 academic years.
From the 1994–1995 academic year to the 2002–2003 academic year, the  proportion of women earning degrees in STEM fields increased at the  bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, and the proportion of domestic  minorities increased at the bachelor’s level. Conversely, the total number  of men graduates decreased, and the proportion of men graduates  declined in the majority of STEM fields at all educational levels in this  same period. However, men continued to constitute over 50 percent of the  graduates in most STEM fields. The proportion of domestic minorities  increased at the bachelor’s level but did not change at the master’s or  doctoral level. In the 1994–1995 and 2002–2003 academic years,  international students earned about one-third or more of the degrees at  both the master’s and doctoral levels in engineering, math and computer  science, and the physical sciences.
section_title: Teacher Quality, Mathematics and Science Preparation, and Other Factors Were Cited as Key Influences on Domestic Students’ STEM Participation Decisions
paragraphs: University officials told us and researchers reported that the quality of  teachers in kindergarten through 12th grades and the levels of  mathematics and science courses completed during high school affected  students’ success in and decisions about pursuing STEM fields. University  officials said that some teachers were unqualified and unable to impart the  subject matter, causing students to lose interest in mathematics and  science. In 2002, Education reported that, in the 1999–2000 school year,  45 percent of the high school students enrolled in biology/life science  classes and approximately 30 percent of those enrolled in mathematics,  English, and social science classes were instructed by teachers without a  major, minor, or certification in these subjects—commonly referred to as  “out-of-field” teachers. Also, states reported that the problem of  underprepared teachers was worse on average in districts that serve large  proportions of high-poverty children.
In addition to teacher quality, students’ high school preparation in  mathematics and science was cited by university officials and researchers  as a factor that influenced students’ participation and success in the STEM  fields. For example, university officials said that, because many students  had not taken higher-level mathematics and science courses such as  calculus and physics in high school, they were immediately behind other  students. A study of several hundred students who had left the STEM  fields reported that about 40 percent of those college students who left the  science fields reported some problems related to high school science  preparation.
Several other factors were cited by university officials, students, and  others as influencing decisions about participation in STEM fields. These  factors included the relatively low pay in STEM occupations, additional  tuition costs to obtain STEM degrees, and the availability of mentoring,  especially for women and minorities, in the STEM fields. For example,  officials from five universities told us that low pay in STEM occupations  relative to other fields such as law and business dissuaded students from  pursuing STEM degrees. Also, in a study that solicited the views of college  students who left the STEM fields as well as those who continued to  pursue STEM degrees, researchers found that students experienced  greater financial difficulties in obtaining their degrees because of the extra  time needed to obtain degrees in certain STEM fields.
University officials, students, and other organizations suggested a number  of steps that could be taken to encourage more participation in the STEM  fields. University officials and students suggested more outreach,  especially to women and minorities from kindergarten through the 12th  grade. One organization, Building Engineering and Science Talent (BEST),  suggested that research universities increase their presence in pre- kindergarten through 12th grade mathematics and science education in  order to strengthen domestic students’ interests and abilities. In addition,  the Council of Graduate Schools called for a renewed commitment to  graduate education by the federal government through actions such as  providing funds to support students trained at the doctoral level in the  STEM fields and expanding participation in doctoral study in selected  fields through graduate support awarded competitively to universities  across the country. University officials suggested that the federal  government could enhance its role in STEM education by providing more  effective leadership through developing and implementing a national  agenda for STEM education and increasing federal funding for academic  research.
section_title: STEM Employment Rose in Math and Science, but There Is No Evidence of an Increase in Engineering or Technology
paragraphs: Although the total number of STEM employees increased from 1994 to  2003, particularly in mathematics and computer science, there was no  evidence that the number of employees in engineering and technology- related fields did. University officials, researchers, and others cited the  availability of mentors as having a large influence on the decision to enter  STEM fields and noted that many students with STEM degrees find  employment in non-STEM fields. The number of foreign workers declined  in STEM fields, in part because of declines in enrollment in U.S. programs  resulting from difficulties with the U.S. visa system. Key factors affecting  STEM employment decisions include the availability of mentors for  women and minorities and opportunities abroad for foreign workers.
subsections: section_title: STEM Employment Rose Relative to Non-STEM Employment, but in STEM Fields the Proportion of Women Remained about the Same, Minorities Continued to be Underrepresented, and the Number of Foreign Workers Declined
paragraphs: From 1994 to 2003, employment in STEM fields increased from an  estimated 7.2 million to an estimated 8.9 million—representing a  23 percent increase, as compared to a 17 percent increase in non-STEM  fields. While the total number of STEM employees increased, this increase  varied across STEM fields. Coinciding with the spread of the Internet and  the personal computer, employment increased by an estimated 78 percent  in the mathematics/computer sciences fields and by an estimated  20 percent in the sciences. There was no evidence that the number of  employees in the engineering and technology-related fields increased.  Further, a 2006 National Science Foundation report found that about two- thirds of employees with degrees in science or engineering were employed  in fields somewhat or not at all related to their degree. Figure 2 shows  the estimated number of employees in STEM fields.
Women and minorities employed in STEM fields increased between 1994  and 2003, and the number of foreign workers declined. While the  estimated number of women employees in STEM fields increased from  about 2.7 million to about 3.5 million in this period, this did not result in a  change in the proportion of women employees in the STEM fields relative  to men. Specifically, women constituted an estimated 38 percent of the  employees in STEM fields in 1994 and an estimated 39 percent in 2003,  compared to 46 and 47 percent of the civilian labor force in 1994 and 2003,  respectively. The estimated number of minorities employed in the STEM  fields as well as the proportion of total STEM employees they constituted  increased, but African-American and Hispanic employees remained  underrepresented relative to their percentages in the civilian labor force.  For example, in 2003, Hispanic employees constituted an estimated 10  percent of STEM employees compared to about 13 percent of the civilian  labor force. Foreign workers traditionally had filled hundreds of  thousands of positions, many in STEM fields, through the H–1B visa  program. In recent years, these numbers have declined in certain fields.  For example, the number of approvals for systems analysis/programming  positions decreased from about 163,000 in 2001 to about 56,000 in 2002.
section_title: Key Factors Affecting STEM Employment Decisions Include Mentoring for Women and Minorities and Opportunities Abroad for Foreign Employees
paragraphs: University officials and congressional commissions noted the important  role that mentors play in encouraging employment in STEM fields and that  this was particularly important for women and minorities. One professor  said that mentors helped students by advising them on the best track to  follow for obtaining their degrees and achieving professional goals. In  September 2000, a congressional commission reported that women were  adversely affected throughout the STEM education pipeline and career  path by a lack of role models and mentors.
University officials and education policy experts told us that competition  from other countries in educational or work opportunities and the more  strict U.S. visa process since September 11, 2001, affected international  employee decisions about studying and working in the United States. For  example, university officials told us that students from several countries,  including China and India, were being recruited by universities and  employers in both their own countries and other countries as well as the  United States. They also told us that they were also influenced by the  perceived unwelcoming attitude of Americans and the complex visa  process.
GAO has reported on several aspects of the visa process and has made  several recommendations for improving federal management of the  process. In 2002, we cited the need for a clear policy on how to balance  national security concerns with the desire to facilitate legitimate travel  when issuing visas. In 2005, we reported a significant decline in certain  visa processing times and in the number of cases pending more than 60  days, and we also reported that in some cases science students and  scholars can obtain a visa within 24 hours.  However, in 2006, we found  that new policies and procedures since the September 11 attacks to  strengthen the security of the visa process and other factors have resulted  in applicants facing extensive wait times for visas at some consular posts.
section_title: More than 200 Federal Education Programs Exist to Promote STEM Careers, but Evaluation and Coordination Are Lacking
paragraphs: Officials from 13 federal civilian agencies reported spending about  $2.8 billion in fiscal year 2004 for 207 education programs designed to  support STEM fields, but they reported little about the effectiveness of  these programs. Although evaluations had been done or were under way  for about half of the programs, little is known about the extent to which  most STEM programs are achieving their desired results. Furthermore,  coordination among the federal STEM education programs has been  limited. However, in 2003, the National Science and Technology Council  formed a subcommittee to address STEM education and workforce policy  issues across federal agencies, and Congress has introduced new STEM  initiatives as well.
subsections: section_title: Federal Civilian Agencies Reported Spending Billions for Over 200 STEM Education Programs in Fiscal Year 2004 and that Evaluations Were Completed or Under Way for About Half
paragraphs: Officials from 13 federal civilian agencies reported that approximately $2.8  billion was spent in fiscal year 2004 on 207 STEM education programs.  The funding levels for STEM education programs among the agencies  ranged from about $998 million for the National Institutes of Health to  about $4.7 million for the Department of Homeland Security, and the  numbers of programs ranged from 51 to 1 per agency, with two agencies— NIH and the National Science Foundation—administering nearly half of  the programs. Most STEM education programs were funded at $5 million  or less, but 13 programs were funded at more than $50 million, and the  funding reported for individual programs varied significantly. For  example, one Department of Agriculture-sponsored scholarship program  for U.S. citizens seeking bachelor’s degrees at Hispanic-serving institutions  was funded at $4,000, and one NIH grant program designed to develop and  enhance research training opportunities was funded at about $547 million.  Figure 3 shows the funding and number of STEM education programs by  federal civilian agency.
According to the agency responses to GAO’s survey, most STEM education  programs had multiple goals, and one goal was to attract students or  graduates to pursue STEM degrees and occupations. Many STEM  programs also were designed to provide student research opportunities,  provide support to educational institutions, or improve teacher training. In  order to achieve these goals, many of the programs were targeted at  multiple groups and provided financial assistance to multiple  beneficiaries. STEM education programs most frequently provided  financial support for students or scholars, and several programs provided  assistance for teacher and faculty development as well. U.S. citizenship or  permanent residence was required for the majority of programs. Table 1  presents the most frequent program goals and types of assistance  provided.
Agency officials reported that evaluations—which could play an important  role in improving program operations and ensuring an efficient use of  federal resources—had been completed or were under way for about half  of the STEM education programs. However, evaluations had not been  done for over 70 programs that were started before fiscal year 2002,  including several that had been operating for over 15 years. For the  remaining over 30 programs that were initially funded in fiscal year 2002  or later, it may have been too soon to expect evaluations.
section_title: Federal Coordination Has Been Limited, but a Federal Group Was Established in 2003 to Help Coordinate STEM Education Programs among Federal Agencies
paragraphs: Coordination of federal STEM education programs has been limited. In  January 2003, the National Science and Technology Council’s Committee  on Science (COS) established a subcommittee on education and  workforce development. According to its charter, the subcommittee is to  address education and workforce policy issues and research and  development efforts that focus on STEM education issues at all levels, as  well as current and projected STEM workforce needs, trends, and issues.  The subcommittee has working groups on (1) human capacity in STEM  areas, (2) minority programs, (3) effective practices for assessing federal  efforts, and (4) issues affecting graduate and postdoctoral researchers.
NSTC reported that, as of June 2005, the subcommittee had a number of  accomplishments and had other projects under way related to attracting  students to STEM fields. For example, it had surveyed federal agency  education programs designed to increase the participation of women and  underrepresented minorities in STEM studies, and it had coordinated the  Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics  Education Week activities, which provide an opportunity for the nation’s  schools to focus on improving mathematics and science education. In  addition, the subcommittee is developing a Web site for federal  educational resources in STEM fields and a set of principles that agencies  could use in setting levels of support for graduate and postdoctoral  fellowships and traineeships.
section_title: Congress Created New Grants to Help Needy Students Obtain STEM Degrees and Established a Council to Determine the Effectiveness of Federal STEM Programs and Provide Coordination
paragraphs: In passing the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Congress created a new  source of grant aid for students pursuing a major in the physical sciences,  the life sciences, the computer sciences, mathematics, technology,  engineering, or a foreign language considered critical to the national  security of the United States. These National Science and Mathematics  Access to Retain Talent Grants—or SMART Grants—provide up to $4,000  for each of 2 academic years for eligible students. Eligible students are  those who are in their third or fourth academic year of a program of  undergraduate education at a 4-year degree-granting institution, have  maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above, and meet the  eligibility requirements of the federal government’s need-based Pell Grant  program. Education expects to provide $790 million in SMART Grants to  over 500,000 students in academic year 2006–2007.
Congress also established an Academic Competitiveness Council in  passing the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The council is composed of  officials from federal agencies with responsibilities for managing existing  federal programs that promote mathematics and science and is chaired by  the Secretary of Education. Among the statutory duties of the council are  to (1) identify all federal programs with a mathematics and science focus,  (2) identify the target populations being served by such programs, (3)  determine the effectiveness of such programs, (4) identify areas of overlap  or duplication in such programs, and (5) recommend ways to efficiently  integrate and coordinate such programs. Congress also charged the  council to provide it with a report of its findings and recommendations by  early 2007. In an April 2006 hearing before the House Committee on  Education and the Workforce, the Secretary of Education testified that she  and President Bush convened the first meeting of the council on March 6,  2006.
section_title: Concluding Observations
paragraphs: While the total numbers of STEM graduates have increased, some fields  have experienced declines, especially at the master’s and doctoral levels.  Given the trends in the numbers and percentages of graduates with STEM  degrees—particularly advanced degrees—and recent developments that  have influenced international students’ decisions about pursuing degrees  in the United States, it is uncertain whether the number of STEM  graduates will be sufficient to meet future academic and employment  needs and help the country maintain its technological competitive  advantage. Moreover, although international graduate applications  increased in academic year 2005–2006 for the first time in 3 years, it is too  early to tell if this marks the end of declines in international graduate  student enrollment. In terms of employment, despite some gains, the  percentage of women in the STEM workforce has not changed  significantly, minority employees remain underrepresented relative to  their employment in the civilian labor force, and many graduates with  degrees in STEM fields are not employed in STEM occupations. Women  now outnumber men in college enrollment, and minority students are  enrolling in record high levels at the postsecondary level as well. To the  extent that these populations have been historically underrepresented in  STEM fields, they provide a yet untapped source of STEM participation in  the future.
To help improve the trends in the numbers of graduates and employees in  STEM fields, university officials and others made several suggestions, such  as increasing the federal commitment to STEM education programs.  However, before expanding the number of federal programs, it is  important to know the extent to which existing STEM education programs  are appropriately targeted and making the best use of available federal  resources—in other words, these programs must be evaluated—and a  comprehensive evaluation of federal programs is currently nonexistent.  Furthermore, the recent initiatives to improve federal coordination, such  as the American Competitiveness Council, serve as an initial step in  reducing unnecessary overlap between programs, not an ending point. In  an era of limited financial resources and growing federal deficits,  information about the effectiveness of these programs can help guide  policymakers and program managers in coordinating and improving  existing programs as well as determining areas in which new programs are  needed.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my prepared statement. I would be pleased  to respond to any questions that you or other members of the Committee  may have.
section_title: GAO Contact and Acknowledgments
paragraphs: For further contacts regarding this testimony, please call Cornelia M.  Ashby at (202) 512–7215. Individuals making key contributions to this  testimony include Jeff Appel (Assistant Director), Jeff Weinstein (Analyst- in-Charge), Carolyn Taylor, Tim Hall, Mark Ward, John Mingus, and  Katharine Leavitt.
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