AWARD DETAILS

SMART scholarship awards include;

• Annual stipend ranging from $22,000-$39,000 depending on prior educational experience
• Full tuition and related educational fees at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university
• Health Insurance
• $1,000 per year book allowance
• Internships at DoD laboratories
• Travel to the summer orientation workshop
• Post-graduation employment placement as a civilian employee of the DoD

How much are the stipends?

Stipend levels are determined by each participant's prior educational experience. In general, participants who are pursuing a BS degree will receive a stipend approximately equivalent to that of a government employee at the GS4-Step 1 level. Participants who have already earned a BS degree and are pursuing either a MS or Ph.D. will be awarded a stipend approximately equivalent to a GS5-Step 1. Participants who have already been awarded a MS degree and are pursuing a Ph.D. will be awarded a stipend approximately equivalent to a GS7-Step 1.

View the OPM GS salary tables.

Please note that the above is a general description of the stipends awarded. Individual awards may vary.

Is there a cap on tuition funded through SMART?

No. If awarded, SMART will fund the total cost of full-time tuition at the regionally accredited U.S. college or university of your choice.

How will the award funding be paid?

• Participant stipends will be paid as either a monthly stipend distributed by ASEE or as a bi-weekly salary distributed by the SMART Program Office at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, or, combination thereof. Payment logistics are decided by the SMART Program Office in accordance with program requirements.
• Tuition and related educational fees will be paid directly to your university by ASEE
• Health insurance will be provided either through your universities health plan or through the federal employee benefit system. This determination will be made by the SMART Program office, prior to award notification. In either case, the program will cover the cost of insuring the participant only. Participants needing family coverage or other extended coverage will have to cover these costs themselves.
• Book allowances will be paid directly to participants by ASEE.

How are travel arrangements handled?

Travel arrangements for the orientation in Monterey, California will be handled by ASEE.  Travel arrangements for internships will be handled by the SMART Program Office.

What is the internship requirement?

Participants awarded multi-year awards, are required to serve as interns at DoD laboratories during the summer months. Internships are intended to provide valuable work experience and help the participant become familiar with the organization he/she has been sponsored by.

I planned to take classes or work on research during the summer/s, can my internship be waived?

Internships provide valuable employment development experience to participants and highly qualified intern support to DoD laboratories. Thus internships are waived only in very rare circumstances and are decided on a case-by-case basis. In most cases, internships will not be waived to accommodate summer course work or research at your university.

Will I get paid during my internship?

Yes. Participants receive a salary for work performed during the internship. Internship salaries are paid at the same pro-rated amount as the academic year stipends. In addition to the base salary, Participants receive funding for all major expenses necessary for participation in the internship.

Will travel expenses for my internship be paid?

Yes. SMART awards include funding for all major travel expenses (airfare, lodging, standard per-diem) necessary for participation in the internships. However, there are likely to be expenses incurred that are not covered such as some ground transportation, cell phone and internet services, and other incidental expenses. Additional details will be provided upon award.

Will SMART pay for attendance at conferences and workshops?

No. Any additional training or supplemental educational activities will be at the participant’s expense.

Can I accept other scholarship awards?

Under the terms of the SMART Service Agreement (PDF: 52KB - Please note this is the 2007 agreement and the 2008 agreement is subject to change), participants may not accept other major scholarship awards. Other major awards are defined as; a) funding from any other federal scholarship, fellowship, grant, or funding source excluding federally funded student loans and/or salary supplements provided by DoD agencies to DoD retention awardees and, b) Other scholarships, fellowships, grants exceeding $5,000 total per academic year. Montgomery GI Bill benefits can still be claimed by SMART participants.

Will I get to choose the organization I will work for after graduation?

On the application, Participants have the opportunity to indicate their top five choices of DoD organizations by which they would like to be sponsored. Participant preference will be considered; however, placement with a Sponsoring Service Organization (SSO) will be determined by the needs of the DoD.

Generally, Participants complete their post-graduation service with their SSO. Participants are notified of the identity and location of their SSO at the time of award and are expected to complete the post-graduation service with the SSO. Participants are responsible for contacting their SSO prior to accepting the award to ensure they are compatible with the organization.

In rare cases, a SSO may determine that the Participant’s skills and the organization’s needs is not a good fit and/or the needs of the organization have changed such that the anticipated need no longer exists.  In such a case, the SMART Program Office will work first with the SSO and Sponsoring Service to locate alternate placement within the Sponsoring Service. If alternate placement within the Sponsoring Service cannot be found, the SMART Program Office will contact other participating DoD organizations to locate placement options.  If no option can be found, the case will be referred to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) which will determine whether the Participant’s post-graduation service commitment will be waived. Requests for alternative placement of a Participant for completion of the post-graduation service must originate with the SSO, Sponsoring Service or Sponsoring Employer.

How will my mentor be assigned?

SSOs assign each Participant a mentor. The mentor is generally a subject matter expert in the Participant’s field of study. Contact information for Participants and mentors will be provided to each by the SSO or Sponsoring Service.

What is the role of my mentor?

It is anticipated that most participants will be assigned mentors who are subject matter experts in the participants' field of study. In all cases, the mentor will be someone within the sponsoring organization who will help facilitate internship arrangements and provide one-on-one counseling regarding the internal operations of the agency.

In some cases, the mentor may serve as a sounding board for reviewing thesis and/or dissertation research.