SMART Grant Scholarship 2024 Find Opportunities From Them

SMART Grant Application Procedure – Are you passionate about pursuing a college education and making a career in the STEM field? If you love to use your experience, knowledge and talent to serve your country then there are amazing opportunities and assistance for you through SMART scholarships for service from the Department of Defense (DoD). The SMART Grant is a prestigious scholarship opportunity that provides full scholarship to a participating university including a civilian guaranteed job with the Department of Defense (DoD) upon graduation.

It is important to consider that for every year of education funding the SMART scholar needs to complete one year of service at DoD facility after graduation. Upon completion of graduation SMART Scholars get competitive benefits and pay scales. On reaching the service retirement smart scholars can choose to remain with DoD or pursue a career in another field. This guide will throw light on SMART Grant Scholarship opportunities, the eligibility criteria, the application procedure and other pertaining details.

Highlights of this Post

What Is A SMART Scholarship?

The SMART Scholarship is a prestigious grant opportunity that is available to college and graduate students that covers the full tuition expenses of the students and provides them with a stipend.

The eligibility criteria require students to pursue a technical degree in one of the 24 stem disciplines with a minimum 3.0 GPA and also participate in a summer internship and agree to accept postgraduate employment at DoD after graduation.

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Applicants should be a minimum of 18 years of age and be a resident of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand. SMART scholars can explore groundbreaking discoveries as well as explorations as civilian employees with the DoD and provide amazing opportunities.

What Are The Benefits Of Applying For The SMART Scholarship Program?

One of the most prestigious scholarship opportunities in the United States of America is the SMART Scholarship Program and recipients of the program are well taken care of during their graduate or undergraduate years. Following are the benefits that you can expect if you become the winner of the SMART Scholarship program.

A stipend in the range of $30,000 to $46,000 per year depending on your degree level
Payment of your full-time tuition cost in addition to room and board expenses at your university you respective of the cost
Book allowance
Health insurance of up to $2500 annually
Experienced mentor to guide you at one of the sponsoring facilities
Miscellaneous allowance up to $1000 yearly
Yearly employment at DoD facility after graduation.

How To Know If I Can Become A SMART Scholar?

The benefits and perks of becoming a SMART Scholar make it an appealing option for a lot of students who want to qualify. Even though we cannot predict your exact chances, we can help you get some insight about the statistics that show the profile of accepted students in the year 2023 who were selected for the SMART Scholar Program.

15% of applicants received SMART Scholarships in the year 2023
The average GPA score of the student was 3.74 on a scale of 4.0
Out of the chosen students nearly 51% were pursuing bachelor’s degrees, 12% were pursuing joint bachelors masters, 14% were pursuing master’s degrees and the rest 23% were progressing towards a PhD.

The SAT or ACT scores may or may not be required each year due to limited testing capacity so you must check with the official SMART Scholarship website to learn. For the graduate record examination, it is completely optional to submit and will not impact the evaluation of your application.

The SMART Scholarship is awarded for a minimum of one year and a maximum of five years of funding depending on the degree requirements. For every year of degree funding the SMART Scholar commits to work for a year with DoD as a civilian employee. Both undergraduate and graduate students can apply for this program.

What Are The Eligibility Criteria For The SMART Scholarship Program?

To be considered for the SMART Scholarship Program applicants are required to meet the following necessary criteria.

Must be a citizen of the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Canada or the United Kingdom
Must be 18 years of age or above as per the program start date of August 1, 2024
Committed to a minimum of one summer internship at the DoD facility
Must have a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale with good standing at their educational institution
Committed to one year of employment service at DoD facility after graduation
Must be able to maintain security clearance
Request at least one year of degree funding before graduation as of the program start date
Students must be studying at any STEM specified disciplines like Environmental sciences, Oceanography, aeronautical and astronautical engineering etc.

In addition to the aforementioned eligibility criteria, undergraduate students must be enrolled in an accredited college or university in America and must hold a high school diploma or GED.

The current high school students can wait until they enroll in an accredited college to apply for the program. Graduate students must be enrolled in an accredited college or university in America or awaiting notification about their admission.

What Kind Of STEM Disciplines You Can Study To Be Eligible For A SMART Scholarship?

There are 24 STEM disciplines and you can study in any one of the disciplines to be eligible for the SMART Scholarship program. It is important to note that non-technical degrees such as management, humanities or arts are not funded or approved by SMART.

The STEM program focuses on students who are pursuing disciplines that are significant to the national security function of the Department of Defense (DoD). Following is the list of 24 approved STEM disciplines by SMART.

Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
Biosciences
Biomedical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences
Computer Science and Engineering
Cybersecurity
Data Science and Analytics
Electrical Engineering
Environmental Sciences
Geosciences
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Information Sciences
Materials Science and Engineering
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Oceanography
Operations Research
Physics
Software engineering.

What Are The Documents Required To Qualify For SMART Scholarship?

The DoD SMART Scholarship Program requires you to submit official documents to prove your eligibility. These documents are as follows.

Minimum two or maximum 5 references on your application
A completed resume or CV
Academic transcripts
A completed application form
Personal statements
Enrollment in an accredited college or institution in the STEM discipline

The SMART application section consists of the following details

About Me
Program Materials
Application Instruction
Privacy Act Statement
My Experience
References
Personal Statement
Proposed Award Details.

To learn more details about the eligibility, application process and other pertaining details you can contact the SMART scholarship at 571-633-7940.

How To Apply For The SMART Scholarship Program?

Applying for the SMART Scholarship Program is similar to applying for any other scholarship program even though the application process can be a bit extensive. Apart from filling out the application form, applicants are required to submit references, academic transcripts and resumes. The deadline for submitting applications is December 1.

Applicants of SMART Scholarship need to complete the registration to ensure eligibility and get access to the application portal. On registration, they will be sent an email with information about how they can log in and start the application process. You need to create an account that will direct you to the SMART official application page.

Do not forget to read the account authentication setup instructions before logging in. After submission of your application form, you can track your progress at the top of the page. Your application will comprise materials that assist you and help you monitor your application status.

All the applications should be submitted by the deadline which is December 1. You can monitor your application status in your portal under your name.

The application status will be one of the following.

In Progress

In Progress application status means you have not completed all the required sections.

Submitted

Submitted application status means you have completed all the required sections, click submit and await program receipt of reference letters.

Complete

Complete application status means applicants have completed all the sections, clicked submit, the program office has received their reference and the application is ready to be evaluated.

Your application will be reviewed and ranked within each STEM-specified discipline. Applicants will receive notification in the month of February about whether they are chosen to be semifinalists. Students will be notified whether they are finally served in the month of April and are eligible to receive a smart scholarship program award.

How To Plan For The SMART Scholarship?

Even though you have received a SMART Scholarship there are a few things to consider so that you do not lose your funding opportunity. The major eligibility criteria for SMART Scholarship is that applicants must be full-time students at a regionally accredited university within America. It is important that you keep this active throughout your college.

Students who want to meet their college expenses with SMART Scholarships must devote their time and effort to research and planning and know about their career choice.

Students who are planning to take part in an internship or research fieldwork opportunities off campus during their college years must get written approval from the SMART Program.

For this, they have to earn academic credit towards their education degree through internship or fieldwork, must not be paid and be enrolled officially with their institution.

Alternatively if you’re planning to study abroad with the help of the Smart Scholarship Program then you need to meet the following eligibility criteria and also get written approval from the SMART Program.

Participation should not interfere with graduation end time and the postgraduate employment start time
The curriculum must contribute to the completion of the degree directly
Must maintain enrollment status as a full-time student throughout the study of a broad-term
Must not interfere with the ability of the participant to complete the DoD internship including post-graduation employment
Must not affect the eligibility of SMART Scholar to maintain the security clearance needed for duty internship and post-graduation service criteria
The tuition cost for studying abroad should be paid directly to the United States institution at which the scholar is receiving funds.

Even though this seems to be a lot of guidelines, the DoD SMART Scholarship is an amazing opportunity for students who can fulfill the criteria. Do not lose your chance to participate in this program by losing your full-time enrollment status during college or Failing to comply with other eligibility criteria. If you have not applied already for the scholarship but are planning the internship or studying abroad with the scholarship then be flexible and be open to the possibility that your plans may change.

What Is The Ronald V. Dellums Memorial SMART Scholarship And Where Can I Find Information About It?

Before we wrap up, we would like to introduce you to the newest addition to the DoD SMART Scholarship family which is the Ronald V. Dellums Memorial SMART Scholarship that is quite similar to the SMART Scholarship with significant differences. The Delum Scholarship is designed for high school seniors and aims to support underrepresented students.

Ronald V. Dellums was a notable figure who served as a United States Marine Corps veteran, advocate for civil rights, social worker and politician. The Congress established a Ronald V. Dellums Memorial SMART Scholarship in memory of Ronald V Dellums to increase the participation of underrepresented students in the DoD STEM workforce. The Delem SMART Scholarship requires applicants to be 18 years or above by the completion of the student’s first college term and a first-year bachelor student by the program start date.

Even high school students are eligible to receive assistance through this program. Applications are open from 1st Aug through 1st Dec every year. The application will be available online and you can visit the official website to learn more details. You can also visit the Dellums page on the SMART official website to learn about this scholarship and apply for it. If you have received AP credit on your high school transit but have not received a college or university transit by the end of fall during your application then you can apply for this program.

Conclusion

The DoD SMART Scholarship is a perfect opportunity for students who are interested in making a career in STEM but do not want the stress of getting a job after graduation. By becoming eligible for this scholarship you not only cover your college cost but also get a guaranteed job in the Department of Defense upon graduation. Read on the aforementioned eligibility criteria, application process and the pertinent information listed above for the DoD smart scholarship. After graduation, SMART Scholars get well-paying DoD jobs and on finishing the required employment years they can continue working with the department or pursue opportunities elsewhere.

Learn more about grants, assistance programs and foundational help at our Get Government Grants’ section today. We will help you to get supportive services and grants based on your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

We are going to answer some of the most frequently asked questions on Smart Grant. Go through the question and answers to get additional information.

Can I apply for a Smart Grant?

To apply for Smart Grant, you are required to submit your FAFSA application. However, there are also a few factors you need to keep in mind before applying for the Smart Grant. It is also important for you to check the eligibility requirements.

Am I eligible for the Smart Grant?

To be eligible for the Smart Grant, you need to have a 3.0 GPA score. You also need to take one major course during your semester. Apart from that you also need to be enrolled in school.

How much amount can I get through Smart Grant?

The Smart Grant offers up to $4,000 in two years of undergraduate study. The cost of participation also includes board fees, lodging fees, tuition and so on.