Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) Program Information for College Staff

The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) has been selected to assist the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001, Aerospace Career Enhancement (ACE) Foundation in the disbursement of ACE childcare scholarship funds to students pursuing careers in aerospace. The mission of SPEEA Aerospace Career Enhancement (SPEEA ACE) is to promote, expand, and enhance workforce training and education, in support of the aerospace and aerospace supply chain industries and to help promote diversity and equity in those industries.

Community and technical colleges have robust Student Support Programs that exist across Student Services and Workforce Education departments that provide an integrated service delivery system focused on meeting the needs of students and connecting students to available resources on and off campus. Benefits Navigators play a critical role in resource navigation such as access to tuition, housing, transportation, and childcare funding for students and streamlining access to funding through a common application/intake process that screens for eligibility of multiple programs. 

To learn more about SPEEA ACE, please visit the SPEEA Aerospace Career Enhancement website. 

Who may apply

[insert names] Colleges have been selected to participate in the 2025-26 SPEEA ACE Childcare Scholarship Funds based on the current Aerospace 1000 program enrollments of parent students. Selected colleges will have developed robust Aerospace 1000 programs and have demonstrated a high ability to provide holistic support to students. 

Funding

Funding is provided at $80,000 per college for each of the colleges participating in receiving the SPEEA ACE Childcare Scholarship Funds. 

For FY26, funding becomes available on July 1, 2025, and expires June 30, 2026. Funds do not extend beyond the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 2026). SPEEA ACE Childcare Scholarship Funds awarded to colleges are for the purpose of providing childcare awards to student parents enrolled in Aerospace 1000 programs. Colleges are expected to expend all funds by June 30, 2026. The SBCTC will monitor monthly billing and invoicing to ensure funds are being spent down.

Funds are not to be used for any other purposes other than awarding childcare scholarships to students. 

Awarding Childcare Scholarships

Students are limited to $5,000 per year for SPEEA ACE Scholarships. Scholarship funds may be awarded at less than $5,000 and awarded over multiple quarters as long as the total amount of scholarships awarded does not exceed $5,000 per student. 

Milestones and Deadlines

Program Resources and Guidelines

• FY26 SPEEA ACE Childcare Scholarship Funds Guidelines
• FY26 SPEEA ACE Childcare Scholarship Funds Assurances