The DoD SMART scholarship changed my life. Prior to winning it, I was flipping cars just to pay my way through college. The scholarship paid my full tuition. On top of that, I received $25k/year, paid out in monthly checks of $2,083. It also guaranteed a job for me at the Department of Defense (DoD) after I graduated.
What’s the Catch?
- You must be currently enrolled in college pursuing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) major
- You must be a U.S. citizen, or a citizen of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United Kingdom
- You must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA
- For every year you accept the award, you must work one year at a DoD facility after graduating. This is a full time, paid position as a federal civilian employee.
Benefits
- $25,000/year if pursuing undergraduate degree
- $33,000/year if pursuing masters degree
- $38,000/year if pursuing PhD
- Pays for full tuition (does not include room and board)
- $1,000/year for textbooks
- $1,200/year toward health insurance costs
- Pays an extra $1,000/week for summer internships on top of the $2,083 monthly stipend
- Guarantees employment at a safe federal job after graduation
Deep Dive with Two SMART Scholarship Recipients and 1 Semi-Finalist About the Entire Process
The benefits of this program are simply phenomenal and it definitely accelerated my path toward financial freedom. A lot of people view the mandatory work at a DoD facility (hundreds of facilities across the country) as a negative point, but I always saw it as a positive requirement. While my classmates were all concerned about finding jobs, I had no worries because I knew exactly where I would be working after graduation.
Sure, at the start you don’t make as much money as most private sector positions, but five years out I was earning $99,927 a year as a GS-13 civilian mechanical engineer working at the Army Armament Research and Development Engineering Center (ARDEC) in Picatinny Arsenal, NJ.
Why I Love My Job
- I work 40 hours a week, period
- I get 20 vacation days and 13 sick days annually
- My workplace is a very family-friendly environment where family comes first
- Federal civilians now get 12-weeks Paid Paternity leave (Father & Mother).
- I don’t have to dress up for work
- I get to support the warfighter and the United States of America
- I work on really cool projects
- My workplace has a full gym, with a basketball court in my building (we play volleyball at lunch)
- My workplace has an 18-hole golf course and a water park
- My workplace offers a subsidized vanpool service, so I commute to work for free and nap on my way to and from work
- My employer is very liberal with snow days – which is awesome!
- Eligibility for the AFVclub, where I can reserve 3-bedroom resort stays worldwide for as low as $27/night
- The federal government will pay off my federal student loans as I work for them
- The federal government will match 5% of my salary toward my retirement TSP (401k)
- I will receive a pension and health care when I retire
- I don’t have to worry about being laid off
- I enjoy what I do and believe in the mission I support
- From 2022-2023, I took on a developmental opportunity through the Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program (ESEP) to work overseas in Japan for one year, the USG paid for my housing and travel expenses and I got to experience a foreign land with my wife and all 4 of my kids for an entire year.
- During my time in Japan I was able to take free flights to Okinawa and South Korea through the Military’s Space-A Program. I also got to enjoy staying at Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR) resorts as a DoD Civilian, which could accomadate my large family with awesome ammenties (Jet Skiing, Pools, Hot Tubs, Golf Carts, Mountain Biking)
To give you an example of what I do, please watch the video below. I was the Lead Project Officer for this project, where we 3D Printed a Grenade Launcher and Fired it. Yeah, my job is pretty cool.
How Competitive is It?
As scholarships go, I think the SMART Scholarship is very attainable. During my year, 4,000 people applied and 300 were awarded the scholarship. That’s about 8% of applicants, which is pretty good. Don’t forget, you can apply every year. I may just have smart friends, but each one of my friends who applied for the scholarship got it.
So, definitely go for it! It is a lengthy application, but absolutely worth it.
DoD SMART Scholarship Acceptance Rate:
- 2018 (18%): 2,122 applied, 382 awarded
- 2017 (14%): 2,450 applied, 343 awarded
- 2016 (9%): 2,655 applied, 239 awarded
Conclusion
I highly recommend applying for this scholarship, and I really encourage working for the government. I love my job and the scholarship’s financial award definitely accelerated my path toward financial independence. I graduated college with minimal student loans (accrued during my first two years without the scholarship) and an overall positive net worth. During the summer internships, the scholarship’s $2,083/month stipend check continues. When added to the weekly $1,000 payment in internship support (The Weekly Internship Support Payments are no longer provided), the two income sources combined equals approximately $6,000, or $73,000/year salary rate. Not bad for a college intern!
If you do win this scholarship, don’t go buying yourself a fancy car like so many others I know did – invest it! With the SMART scholarship funds, I started investing in the stock market, and then I used my profits as seed money for my Real Estate Investing. It’s a great opportunity and I encourage all who are eligible to apply! Good luck and Godspeed.
For more information and detailed inquiries, check out a forum specifically for the SMART Scholarship at http://www.thesmartforum.org/
67 thoughts on “DoD SMART Scholarship: How I Was Paid $25k a Year to Go to College”
Hi,
I applied for the scholarship this year and was wondering if you could answer some questions about it. I chose my #1 SF as Picatinny… is all the stuff you talked about related to this center in general or just your specific sector? Are there physicists that work there (I’m majoring in physics and applied math) or is it mainly just engineers? I’m very happy to read such a positive review of the scholarship, congrats!
I know for a fact that physicists do work there as I had a friend who is a physics major win the smart scholarship last year and he’ll start working at Picatinny this summer. Not sure about applied math, but I’m sure with 4,000+ workers at Picatinny, there would be some need for applied math.
Everything I spoke about speaks to the Scholarship in general. Although in the “why I love my job” section some of that is specific to where I work. As a whole I believe federal employees start with 13 regular days off and 13 sick days off a year; after 3 years, its 20days and 13 sick. After 15 years, its 26 days and 13 sick a year.
If you come out for a site visit, feel free to message me. I wish you the best of luck, Godspeed.
I really like your post. It sounds like you have really excelled through SMART. Does the DOD always start paying off the Federal loans, or is that only for certain employees and their fields of expertise? Your publication is very interesting. I commend you for your service for our country.
Thanks Dee, I really feel blessed to like my job and at the same time support our great country.
The loan payback scholarship is specific to the Army side of the DoD. I think anyone who works at Picatinny is eligible for that one.
More details can be found here: http://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/student-loan-repayment-program/
I’m not sure if there is a similar scholarship for the civilian sector of the Navy or Air Force, etc.
Hi,
I’m going to be applying for SMART for the next application cycle. What kind of work/professional experiences did you have before that you think gave you an advantage?
Well I actually had already had interned at my sponsoring facility prior to applying for SMART. I also was a Machinist-Apprentice at my Work-Study job on Campus. I think the internship really helped, and I’m sure the Machining Experience was a plus too.
Although I just had a friend get accepted and all he had was research lab experience.
I am the parent of a high school senior who is interested in this program. How would you recommend going about selecting your site of interest? He is interested in computer science, engineering, and cyber security. We are unfamiliar with the inner workings of the DOD.
Those fields seem quite broad and would probably be needed at any military installation, so I would probably just pick the one closest to you; SMART has a list of all their sponsoring facilities on their website, so you can search by location or fields offered. https://smartscholarshipprod.service-now.com/smart?id=kb_article&sys_id=5bf2b0f3dbb54300b67330ca7c9619b6
Thanks for the response!
I am applying in the 2018 applicants. I am a college student with a good GPA. As far as technical experience goes the most I have done is work on some cool projects with AIAA and gotten an internship (very recently). I am in my junior year and have not done much research, and I don’t know exactly what type of problems I’d want to work on long term. How would you go about making your application stand out if you were in my shoes?
Hey there,
I am in high school thinking about this scholarship for the future. I think it would be very nice to not worry about getting a job right after college, not to mention getting paid to go to college! My question is: What grade did you start out at as a mechanical engineering graduate? And how do you move up grades? There is not a whole lot of information on this, and I want to weigh the balance of whether it would be worth it. Thanks!
P.S.: Awesome story- I also love the fact that you say not to waste your money on cars and such. Saving money is the best option.
Hey Peter. In the Federal Government an Enginner typically starts at a GS-7, a year later they automatically get promoted to a 9. In another year they go to an 11. Then one more year to a Gs-12. At 12 the automatic grade increases stop. And you have to competitively apply for GS-13 spots.
I graduated with a masters so I was able to skip one year and go straight to a GS-9.
Yes, if you can live below your means and focus on buying your freedom and not things – a world of new possibilities will open up for you.
Thanks for the quick response! That’s great- much better than I would have thought straight out of college. I assume this is all on the “step 1”? The system is a little confusing on how the steps work. What step were you at?
Yes whenever you get a grade increase you will almost always go to step 1.
Unless you negotiated a Gs-7 Step 10 going in, which is ($61k). Then Maybe in a year you would go to a Gs-9 Step 3 ($61.8k). But other than that unusual circumstance, yes all step 1.
I was always step 1 for all my grades.
How does the selection process work after the interviews? My daughter has applied and received several phone interviews from two bases. We weren’t sure if she was offered a scholarship, if she would get a list to pick the specific site/shop she wanted if multiple people wanted her or does the program only offer the facility the program decides on? She has heard different things during the interviews. She’s easy going and goes with the flow but as a parent I was curious. Thank you for any information.
Emma you are in luck, I just uploaded a Q&A with other SMART recipients, watch from around the 9-minute mark for the answer to your question. https://youtu.be/1Q73jZpWDio
Thank you for the reply. I watched the video. It didn’t completely answer my question as only one of the recipients talks about being offered two positions and he states that he doesn’t really know how the selection process works as most of it was in the dark for him. He didn’t mention if he went to both places to see the organization prior to making his selection. I guess she will wait and see how the process unfolds. Thank you for your help.
Pretty sure he only went to Picatinny… but I’m sure if the sponsoring facilities are interested they will ask if you want to come into get interviewed or a feel for the place.
Hi I was wondering what would be a good/ competitive GPA to apply?
And if double majors/minors are also covered by the scholarship?
Hmm… don’t know enough to say, but I think I had a 3.5 at the time of applying. Not sure about double majors but I don’t see why not. Perhaps if you’re double majoring in physics and teaching, just mention the physics major.
Hello,
For the scholarship, do you need to show that you’ve done research projects in the past? I plan on getting my master’s in mathematics and I would like to apply for the scholarship once it opens up again. I’m just not sure what sort of DoD careers are for math majors.
I know we have mathematicians in our finance and ballistics departments. You do not need to show research projects, I hadn’t done any at the time of applying.
Are you aware of any cases in which someone has been awarded a SMART Scholarship without having been contacted for an interview in February or March?
Nope… that really does not seem likely to me. You should have already received notice one way or another yesterday. Login to your account.
Hi,
Would you mind telling me how the scholarship works? Let’s say I get it as a junior, I get my bachelors in CS. But I want to keep studying until I get my masters, would the scholarship extend till I finish my masters degree?
Thank you
I believe you would have to apply for a Variance, the Smart Scholarship actually paid for an extra summer semester of study for me instead of doing an internship that summer, and I was able to squeeze in enough graduate credits to graduate with my Masters alongside by bachelors. I think its quite common though to just apply for continuing education, once you are on the Master’s track you will be getting $33k in stipend payments instead of the normal $25k.
Hi, I plan on applying for the 2020 application, but I was wondering about the GRE test. What kind of score are they looking for in applicants? I was also wondering about internships. Can you get an internship with the DoD after your freshman year and still apply for the SMART scholarship? How competitive was getting the internship? What range of volunteer work are they looking for and what type of community service? Has for leadership programs can your volunteer hours count as that or do you need to join a program/club? I know the higher the GPA the better but are most applicants considered with a 3.5 or higher? Or do you need something crazy like a 3.9 or 4.2? Lastly, the summer after freshman year are applicants likely to receive the scholarship or mostly for the year after sophomore and up? I’m majoring in chemical engineering any information would be helpful.
Alyssa wow lot of questions. I’d recommend watching my YouTube video for more in depth details for your answers.
You could start your internship as soon as freshmen year.
https://youtu.be/1Q73jZpWDio
I think you need at least a 3.5 to be competitive. Do you mean SATs? I don’t think they care about that as much as your college GPA.
How should I format my responses in my essays? I am having a difficult time during this phase.
Hi,
I’m currently a senior in high school and I was excited to hear about this scholarship from a teacher. I know I can’t apply until I’m actually in college and I know that if I do get accepted to the program, I receive the scholarship money until August. My question was that let’s say I’m in debt from my freshman year college tuition, will the DOD still pay for my freshman year at tuition and the remaining years? Also, thanks so much for the article and video! It was very informative and I’m really looking forward to applying for this and working for the DOD!! You just have so much amazing things to say about working there! Best of luck to you in your work and to others applying!!
No they only pay for tuition going forward from the scholarship. I had like $20k of student loans from my Freshmen and Sophomore year that I accrued. But the government does have Student Loan Repayment Programs that you can take advantage of once you start working full time. That is what I did.
Thanks for the positive feedback, good luck!
Sorry to be bothering you again, but thanks for the quick response! I just had one more question and that is what jobs do the DOD have for biology majors, specifically forensic biology?
Sorry again, but should I pursue a masters and reapply to this program? Do you recommend it? What was your experience with this? Thank you
should I pursue a masters and reapply to this program? Do you recommend it? What was your experience with this? Thank you and sorry again
So I have no idea about Forensic Biology… but there are like 80 sponsoring facilities across the country, I’m sure at least one of them would require your skills.
Regarding Masters, I can’t speak to this too much, since I doubled up classes and ended up squeezing in (23 credit semesters) my Masters with my Bachelors. Although what did help was asking SMART to pay for an extra Summer Semester of Classes that helped me finish my 10 masters classes. Anyway it seemed a stretch for them to approve that, but they did do it, I wouldn’t guarantee it for anyone else though. Again I recommend checking out the http://www.thesmartforum.org/ for more questions.
Great info. Does the program cover private schools?
Yes all schools. You just have to be in a STEM major. I went to a private engineering school called Stevens Institute of Technology.
Sunny,
I’m applying for a PhD program for Fall 2020 to study Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering. I am transitioning from the submarine nuclear engineering community after 6 years.
How do you go about figuring out if there’s a facility with an opening? I hear that while holistically, my application could be top notch, I still will not receive an offer if the facility I picked does not have an opening. Additionally, I hear that it could cause a rejection if my proposed interests are too specific (say, creating a device that could accelerate tissue healing). Are these true?
Hi,
Currently, I am in highschool. I heard about this from a teacher, and I’m very interested in this. Do you have any tips on how I could prepare from now in 10th grade till college admissions, so I could potentially recieve this awesome scholarship?
Hmm great question… maybe respost that in the unofficial SMART scholarship forum. I would say that it would probably be invaluable to complete a highschool internship at a Government Facility. https://smartscholarshipprod.service-now.com/smart?id=kb_article&sys_id=5d3a1510db068300b67330ca7c961994
Find out if there is one near you, and try to apply for a scholarship opportunity. I think this also starts the clock for your start of government service, so you get a lot of the perks quicker if you eventually become full-time.
My Daughter was just notified that she is a Semi-Finalist..so excited for her! My question is, do you have any idea on what the selection percentage is of the Semi-Finalists? I see the overall metrics posted…just wondered of the smaller Semi-Finalist group. Thanks!
No idea, I really think its just a matter of the right sponsoring facility thinking that they have a position for her and that she is a good fit for their organization. I don’t think there is a quota, they could all be selected, or none selected; its all about finding the right fit for the various organization looking for SMART candidates to hire on.
Hi Sunny,
Thank you for sharung all the great information. I received a call last week from my top choice SF, they are flying next week to visit the site and meet with their personal. I hope this will work well. I am stressed though.
I wish everyone the best!
Hey Rakim best of luck, that’s awesome.
Hi Sunny,
I watched your video from March of 2019 covering the details of the SMART Program. I am a little confused and would like clarification about the award details. From my understanding I would receive:
-$25,000 stipend for ONE YEAR if I did the program for ONE YEAR.
-ONLY full tuition AND fees for college for ONE YEAR if I did the program for ONE YEAR. Room&board and meal plan for college are NOT INCLUDED
-$1,000 PER WEEK for 8-12 weeks during the internship.
– A ONE TIME $1,000 stipend for books for college.
Are those award amounts correct?
And also I applied to work at facilities that are a plane ride’s distance away so my next question is:
Would I receive full coverage for a round trip flight to and from the facility, full coverage for living accommodations, full coverage for food, and full coverage for transportation to and from the facility for work everyday?
Those amounts are correct for when I was awarded, not sure if anything has changed since.
I don’t think they would cover living expenses, that is what the $1000/per weel is for.
I am a semi-finalist and when I submitted my application, I put my discipline under Computer and Computational Sciences, when I should’ve entered it in Information Sciences since my major is Computer Information Systems – Information Security. Recognizing this too late, I emailed the people over the scholarship and I asked them if I could change my discipline. They said that I can only change my discipline if I am selected for an award. I haven’t gotten any phone interviews yet, but I was wondering if that would make a difference in where I would go and how big of a difference that is. Thank you for your time.
I think it probably would. You would be getting a call directly from branches that would be looking to hire you because of your listed major. Honestly I don’t know much about your major. But it sounds like it could be something needed in most installations so you might be okay.
I am a semifinalist, doing PhD in Neuroscience. Haven’t received any call for interview yet, does this mean I am most likely out? Its April 5 now
I thought it did…. but I just heard of someone getting a congratulations letter for being accepted into the SMART Scholarship Program at Picatinny Arsenal without ever having an interview. So I wouldn’t give up hope just yet.
What are some things I could do during my freshman year of college to make myself a good candidate?
Definitely increasing your GPA, if you can get an internship at a DOD facility, or start helping the DoD in some way and get a reference letter from someone in the miliatry/DoD I think that would be huge.
Hi Sunny, I am currently working on my application for the scholarship and I selected my top 3 preferences. I was wondering if I only have a shot of getting a position from those 3 facilities or if other bases that have mechanical engineering majors located there could also be a possibility if say my top 3 choices didn’t find me a good fit? Also, I noticed you recommended to try to get a reference letter from someone in the military/DoD, however I do research for my university and was planning on having 3 professors (one of which is my research advisor and another is my Nuclear and Radiation Engineering professor), would this still allow for me to be a competitive candidate? Thanks!
Yea I think your research professors are a good idea.
And yes people have gotten sponsors from facilities outside of their top-3. Less likely, but I know it’s happened.
I had a question about the applying process. I was wondering if I would have to apply each academic year? Or do I apply right now as a sophomore and if I get accepted does that mean I have that scholarship for the remaining years?
Once you get the award you get it every year till your finish your degree. On schedule of course.
But if you don’t get the award, you can apply again next year.
Hi! I’ve watched your videos and had a question: I’m currently a Semi-Finalist that has only had 1 interview so far and will hear results back in about a week from SMART. First off, I’m a Freshman/ by year but actually Sophomore/ by hours (which I explained to the SF), Computer Science Major, previously interned with the DoD in High School (and still have an active clearance), have always maintained a 4.0 GPA, and, as of late, have just started a more technical based and temporary internship that supports and works closely with federal agencies. HOWEVER, I was not able to include information about the internship on my application or my interview considering I’ve only just started. In saying that, I don’t have a whole ton of technical experience… is that a bad thing and something that could really take me out of the running…? Especially considering that I’ve only had 1 interview call so far, SMART has not asked me to re-rank my SF’s (BTW, I put “No Preference” so as to keep my options open or make me appear more flexible, if at all), and originally stated to SMART that I was a Freshmen (but am doubling on classes and am a year ahead while transferring early to a 4 year) I’m not feeling very confident and am pretty stressed. Can you offer some advice/an opinion?
Hi! I’ve watched your videos and had a question: I’m currently a Semi-Finalist that has only had 1 interview so far and will hear results back in about a week from SMART. First off, I’m a Freshman/ by year but actually Sophomore/ by hours (which I explained to the SF), Computer Science Major, previously interned with the DoD in High School (and still have an active clearance), have always maintained a 4.0 GPA, and, as of late, have just started a more technical based and temporary internship that supports and works closely with federal agencies. HOWEVER, I was not able to include information about the internship on my application or my interview considering I’ve only just started. In saying that, I don’t have a whole ton of technical experience… is that a bad thing and something that could really take me out of the running…? Especially considering that I’ve only had 1 interview call so far, that SMART has not asked me to re-rank my SF’s (BTW, I put “No Preference” so as to keep my options open or make me appear more flexible, if at all), and originally stated to SMART that I was a Freshmen (but I’ve been doubling up on classes and am a year ahead while transferring early to a 4 year) I’m not feeling very confident and am pretty stressed. Can you offer any advice or your opinion? I’d GREATLY appreciate it, and thank you!
Hey Seagull sounds like you are in a decent spot to me. Not sure if I can offer any advice, did you write a thank you message to your interviewer?
So sorry – I didn’t see your reply! Yes, most definitely did write a thank you message to the interviewer and even offered my GitHub for a closer look at my past projects, but I’m just stressed that my experience/technical skill level is kind of bare. Do you think I could still be offered opportunities, even at another facility despite not having had another interview(s)? Quite frankly, I’m just seeking reassurance before results are finalized soon… Sorry lol….
GOT THE SCHOLARSHIP!
Woah that is awesome, congrats!
I want to thank you because exactly a year ago, I was reading this article, and all the comment and I went and watched your youtube video about the SMART Scholarship. you gave enough info and the confidence to app[y and last month I was one of the 2021 recipients so thank you so much. Hope one Day I will meet you in person to thank you.
Hey Loic Congratulations! And thanks so much for the message, stories like yours are the reason I started the blog in the first place.
Hi, thank you for all the great information and insight! I am wondering if Psychology counts for this scholarship and if you know any people who did it for Psychology. (I know Cognitive sciences count, but Psychology is often viewed as a “soft science” and I would like you to clarify that for me! Also you said that you applied your 3rd year in college and that you can apply any year. So I can continue to apply again and again until I get the scholarship? (an 8% grant rate is not very attainable to me). Thank you and please let me know what you think regarding my questions!
I am from the UK. I got qualified to the semi-final on the 1st of February 2023. I hope it win the scholarship.
Hi I’m a high school senior looking to apply for this scholarship this year. In your notes you said “The federal government will pay off my federal student loans as I work for them” are these federal student loans from a past school year if you did not the scholarship in a previous year.