Final answer:
The Smith-Hughes Act is the law that provided funds for high school vocational agricultural programs. Other significant acts include the Morrill Act, the National Defense Education Act, and the Higher Education Act of 1965, which collectively shaped the landscape of educational funding and college preparatory programs in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
The law that provided funds and encouraged high school vo-ag programs was the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917, which was aimed at promoting vocational education in agricultural and industrial trades in secondary schools. However, because this specific act was not mentioned in the reference material, we must look at laws that did influence educational funding and college preparatory programs. Among these, the Morrill Act of 1862 and 1890, the National Defense Education Act, and the Higher Education Act of 1965 were significant. While the Morrill Act was key in establishing land-grant colleges with a focus on agriculture, the National Defense Education Act promoted math, science, and engineering, and the Higher Education Act of 1965 furthered this by providing financial aid, work-study, and student loan programs, thus enhancing higher education accessibility.