stmAre you an undergraduate pursing a degree in one of the stem disciplines? Interested in studying on a Scholarship? Then you might want to look into SMART Scholarship Program.
That every student would like to have a Scholarship is an undisputable fact. Apart from those who are unable or struggling in performance of their academic financial obligations, even those who have very deep pockets that is good enough for them to finance their education also want scholarships.
Scholarships does not just bring academic financial relief, it also has a prestige, sort of honor that comes with having it which shows the individual as a unique one. A Scholarship on your CV reveals to a large extent of that you have done something special. This can give quite a good leverage when it comes to the time of seeking for job, especially a job that has a lot of competition.
About SMART Scholarship Program And STEM
SMART, (The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation) Scholarship for service is a scholarship program that is funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) in USA. It is a combined workforce development and educational opportunity for students.
The mission of the SMART Scholarship for Service Program is to “enhance the civilian workforce of the DoD with innovative engineers, researchers and scientists across the United States”, while the vision is to “create a DoD workforce that is highly skilled to and compete with the dynamic trends in innovation and technology to protect national security.”
The SMART program is part of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics portfolio of the Department of Defense. Through the SMART program, the DoD provide with the needed tools to pursue higher a and start a rewarding career with the DoD.
With the support of a SMART Scholarship, students pursuing STEM degrees will be able to focus on research and furtherance of the DoD’s mission of creating a lasting impact.
Summer interns’ performance are done at DoD’s facilities alongside engineers and scientists. This helps to prepare engineers for full time employment. It also help them get accustomed to the workings of the DoD.
The SMART Scholarship Program is regarded as a one for one commitment. What this means is that for each year of degree funding, the scholar commits to a year with the DoD as a civilian employee. The civilian workforce of the DoD is responsible for the solving of the most complex challenges of the nation by the development of next generation defense technologies.
SMART program is meant to address talent discovery and retention. It is the largest educational to workforce program offered by the DoD STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
DoD utilizes a comprehensive approach in the development of STEM talent. It is highly committed to the development of the STEM talent of the nation and is recognized as the largest employer of federal engineers and scientists.
There are about 150,000 civilian employee working in a cross the DoD setup. By provision of authentic learning experiences through variety of educational and outreach initiatives like the SMART Scholarship for Service Program, DoD STEM activities offers good support to this mission.
STEM is a sustainable and diverse talent pool ready to serve the nation and extend the DoD’s competitive edge.
SMART Scholarship Program Requirements, Eligibility Criteria
So who can apply for the SMART Scholarship? What are the requirements? Here we have them;
- Applicant must be a citizen of the United States, Canada, New Zealand, UK, Australia, at the time of application
- Must be 18 years of age or older on the 1st of August 2023.
- Must be requesting at least 1 year of degree funding prior to graduation, this starts at the program start date
- Must be able to complete at least a year of summer internship, (for multi-year scholarship only)
- Must be willing to accept post-graduation employment with the DoD
- Must have good GPA standing, minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 of 4.0
- Must be pursuing a technical graduate or undergraduate degree in any of the 21 STEM disciplines listed below
- Must produce a fall 21 college transcript from regional accredited US university or college, or must be pursuing a graduate degree at regional accredited US university or college
- If you are an active military member and would like to apply for the SMART Scholarship Program, you must be separated or be on terminal leave on or before the 1st of August 2023 to be eligible for the program.
- Current ROTC participants who has future commitment are not eligible to apply for SMART Scholarship Program
- National Guard and Reserve members are eligible to apply
- SMART does not fund non-technical degrees such as humanities, management, and arts.
These are the eligibility requirements of the SMART Scholarship Program.
Disciplines Approved And Funded For SMART Scholarship
There are 21 disciplines that are approved for SMART Scholarship Program.
The 21 disciplines are; physics, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Material Science and Engineering, Environmental Science, Geoscience, Cognitive Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, Naval Architecture and Oceanography, Nuclear Engineering, Biosciences, Operations Research, Computer and Computational Sciences and Computer Engineering, Information Sciences, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Nuclear Engineering.
Benefits of SMART Scholarship
Benefits provided by the SMART Scholarship for its students in order to pursue their STEM education and start a good career in civilian position in the DoD include;
- Full tuition and education related expenses, such as meal plans
- Stipends paid depending on degree level at the rate of $24,000 to $38,000 a year. This may be protracted, depending on award length
- Summer research internship which ranges from 8 to 12 weeks.
- Up to $1200 health insurance allowance per academic year
- Experienced mentor at one of the Sponsoring Facilities
- Job placement at a DoD facility upon completion of degree program.
These are the benefits you get to enjoy if awarded a SMART Scholarship
How To Apply For SMART Scholarship Program
Application for the SMART Scholarship for Service Program is opened from August through December every year. Application can be submitted online, with all supporting materials requested before the deadlines.
Conclusion
Here’s where we will be wrapping it up on the SMART Scholarship Program having given you all you need to know about it. Also check out other similar articles recommended for you below and please share this online so others can learn.
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