Are you or your kid smart? Are either of you currently in college or planning to go next year? Does getting a free education in a science related program and having a guaranteed job after graduation sound good?
Well, if you said "D - all of the above", the SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program may be perfect for you.
What is the SMART Scholarship?
The SMART (Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation) Scholarship Program is a scholarship-for-service program created by DOD that gives undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines critical to national security functions a full scholarship and postgraduate employment.
What Fields Are Approved for the SMART Scholarship?
You can select a degree in:
- Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
- Biosciences
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences
- Computer and Computational Sciences and Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Geosciences
- Industrial and Systems Engineering (technical tracks only)
- Information Sciences
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
- Nuclear Engineering
- Oceanography
- Operations Research (technical tracks only)
- Physics
What Exactly Does The SMART Scholarship Provide?
Participants in the SMART Scholarship program get:
- Full tuition and education related fees (does not include items such as meal plans, housing, or parking)
- Stipend paid at a rate of $25,000 - $38,000 depending on degree pursuing (may be prorated depending on award length)
- Summer research internships
- Health Insurance allowance up to $1,200 per calendar year
- Miscellaneous Supplies Allowance of $1,000 per academic year
- Mentoring
- Employment placement after graduation
What Kind of Employment Placement Is Provided?
You will be expected to commit to at least 12 months of employment for each academic year you receive a scholarship for. You will be employed at a DOD lab.You may select up to three preferred DOD laboratories for placement. Every effort will be made to place you with one of the choices but it isn't guaranteed. All awardees are notified of their placement upon award notification. You will also spend summers between terms working as an intern at the DOD laboratory where you will eventually be employed after graduation.
What are the Qualifications?
All awardees should be at least 18 years old as of August 1, 2017, and a student in good standing with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale at the time of award.
Active-duty military members who wish to apply for the SMART scholarship must be honorably separated or begin terminal leave on or before August 1, 2017, to be eligible. The scholarship application deadline is December 1.
