The Science, Mathematics, And Research For Transformation (SMART) Defense Scholarship Program was tested as a program in 2005 under the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. SMART was fully established by the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006, and was assigned to the Navy Postgraduate School (NPS) as the managing agency in late 2005-early 2006.
The SMART scholarship program is a Department of Defense (DoD) workforce development program created to address the growing gap between America and the rest of the world in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. SMART facilitates this goal by recruiting and retaining some of the best and brightest STEM candidates in the nation.
SMART is a DoD civilian scholarship-for-service program which is a part of the National Defense Education Program (NDEP). Like other NDEP programs, SMART is funded through the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Requirements
The program is open to current and prospective students, including current DoD employees who meet the following requirements:
- U.S. citizen
- Minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Pursuing a degree in one of the STEM disciplines
- Willing to participate in summer internships
- Willing to accept post-graduation employment within the DoD
- Able to attain a SECRET clearance
While these are the minimum requirements, the average GPA is well over 3.0, with the current 2009 cohort year averaging 3.73 on a 4.0 scale.[1]
Vorteile
Students who are accepted receive the following benefits:
- Full tuition at any accredited college or university within the U.S.
- Annual cash award payments of $25,000 (Undergraduate) – 41,000 (Doctorate)
- Health insurance reimbursement (with some restrictions)
- Book allowance of $1,000 per academic year
- Mentoring by a DoD sponsoring facility
- Post-graduation employment placement within the DoD
Students are required to pay back the scholarship by working with the Department of Defense in a 1-1 year ratio. This work is a paid position within a specific DoD agency. Any changes to the original contract agreement made between the DoD and the award recipient may result in a longer duration of required employment. Multi-year recipients are also required to complete internships during the summers at their sponsoring facility at no additional compensation.
Note that many publicly available advertisements mention internship expenses are covered. However, as of March 20, 2012, internship support payments are no longer paid as a benefit of the program. Recipients must pay out-of-pocket for internship travel, lodging, and other living expenses.
In the event that a recipient chooses to leave the program or fails to meet the program requirements, the recipient will be required to pay back in full all moneys that have been paid on their behalf to the DoD. At $25000-$41000 per year, plus orientation expenses, plus book and health insurance allowances, plus all tuition and fees, this amount can be very high. Applicants are encouraged to soberly consider this scholarship for service contract prior to accepting.
History
Since SMART was officially established in 2006, the program has grown each year. Below are the combined numbers of students awarded scholarships as well as the funding history.
| Year | Awards | Finanzierung |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 32 | $8.1 million |
| 2007 | 106 | $13.0M |
| 2008 | 178 | $13.8M |
| 2009 | 262 | $34.0M |
| 2010 | 297 | $41.0M |
References
- ^ TheSmartForum.org, 2009-11-27