SMART Scholarship (Department of Defense)

Scholarship Overview: Full tuition for current STEM major college students who will begin career in a prestigious civilian position with the Department of Defense
Application Available: August 1, 2024
Deadline Date: December 6, 2024

Scholarship Details:

Eligibility Requirements:

  1. Current undergraduate and graduate student
  2. A citizen of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or United Kingdom at time of application,
  3. 18 years of age or older as of August 1, 2024
  4. Requesting at least 1 year of degree funding prior to graduation (which starts at the program start date),
  5. Able to complete at least one summer internship (multi-year scholars only)
  6. Willing to accept post-graduation employment with the Department of Defense (DoD),
  7. Be in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale,
  8. Pursuing a technical undergraduate or graduate degree in one of the 24 STEM disciplines listed on the website,
  9. Able to produce a fall 2023 college transcript from a regionally accredited US college or university, OR be pursuing a graduate degree at a regionally accredited US college or university.

*Active duty military members who wish to apply for the SMART Scholarship must be separated or on terminal leave on or before August 1, 2024 to be eligible. Reserve and National Guard members are eligible to apply. 

****Students planning to attend an HBCU(historically Black colleges and universities) and MSIs(minority-serving institutions) are particularly encouraged to apply.

Application Requirements:

Completed online application consisting of:

More information:

Application Requirements: Letter(s) of Recommendation, Minimum GPA

Award Amount: $140,000

Award Details:

Full tuition and education related educational expenses (meal plans, housing, and parking not included)
Stipend paid at a rate of $30,000 – $46,000 a year depending on degree level (may be prorated depending on award length)
Summer research internships ranging from 8 to 12 weeks
Health Insurance allowance of up to $2,500 per academic year
Miscellaneous allowance of up to $1,000 per academic year
An experienced mentor at one of the Sponsoring Facilities
Employment placement at a DoD facility upon degree completion.
Scholarships are awarded for a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of 5 years of funding, depending on degree requirements. SMART is a one-for-one commitment; for every year of degree funding, the scholar commits to working for a year with the DoD as a civilian employee.

Website/URL: https://www.smartscholarship.org/smart

Scholarship Manager Information:

Contact Email: smart@smartscholarship.org
Additional Contact & Submission Information:

Monitor the status of your application to ensure the SMART Program receives the required references. Applicants must click the “Submit Application” button before December 1 at 5:00 PM EST for their applications to be considered.

Filters:

Eligibility: Minimum GPA/Class Rank, U.S Citizen/Permanent Resident, Veteran/Active Duty/1st Responder (Personal/Relative)
Areas of Study: Biological, Biomedical Studies, & Pre-Med Studies, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Engineering, Fire Sciences, Security, Military, & Intelligence, Information Technology, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, Behavioral, & Cognitive Science
Applicant’s Current Education Level: College Student
Location Specific: National
Institution Type: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs)