This bill amends the Public School Code of 1949 to enhance the Student Teacher Support Grant Program. Specifically, it introduces a new provision that establishes a minimum grant amount of $5,000 for eligible student teachers who complete their required student teaching in a subject shortage area within Pennsylvania. This addition aims to incentivize student teachers to work in fields where there is a lack of qualified educators.

The bill also mandates that the agency responsible for administering the grants will consult with the department to utilize relevant data to identify these subject shortage areas. This legislative change is intended to address the ongoing challenges in staffing certain educational subjects and to support the development of future educators in Pennsylvania. The act is set to take effect 60 days after its passage.