Legislature not interested in Gov. Rick Scott's STEM degrees

Gov. Rick Scott, who recently held a higher education summit in Orlando, wants to increase the number of Florida students who graduate with degrees in STEM fields.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math.

During his re-election campaign, Scott promised to secure $10 million to create a $10,000 degree STEM grant program for state colleges. (He has also sought to raise the rankings of Florida's universities and to to be No. 1 in the nation for higher education affordability.)

For the second legislative session in a row, Scott in 2016 proposed $5 million toward STEM degrees.

For the second year in a row, the Legislature ignored his request.

The degrees already exist — just without the extra $10 million Scott wants to earmark for them.

In 2012, Scott issued a challenge to state colleges to offer $10,000 degrees, but it wasn't only for STEM studies. That program is only for state colleges (previously called community colleges) and not universities.

During the 2014-15 academic year, 14,791 students were enrolled in a $10,000 baccalaureate degree program, including 3,495 students in STEM fields.

Scott still has two more legislative sessions to go, but he hasn't found a willing partner in the Legislature so far to create the STEM degree program.

We rate this promise Stalled.