Nationally competitive award

SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program

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A scholarship-for-service program funded by the U.S. Department of War that provides merit-based scholarships for bachelor's, master's, and doctoral students pursuing STEM degrees.

Deadline
5:00 p.m. EST on the first Friday in December 2026
Opening date
August 1
Award amount
  • Full tuition to any U.S. accredited college or university
  • Annual stipend between $30,000 and $46,000 depending on degree level
  • Health and book allowances
  • 1 to 5 years of degree funding
  • Summer internships with Department of War leaders
  • Guaranteed employment after graduation
  • Summer internships for awards greater than 1.5 years

Overview

Academic level
  • High school senior
  • Undergraduate
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Discipline
  • Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biosciences
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences
  • Computer Science and Engineering
  • Data Science and Analytics
  • Electrical Engineering
  • 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
Citizenship
  • United States
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • New Zealand
  • United Kingdom
Eligibility
  • Must be 18 years of age or older by January 1, 2028
  • Must plan to attend or be enrolled in a regionally accredited U.S. college or university
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance
  • Must agree to a one-for-one post-graduation civilian service commitment with the Department of War
  • Active-duty military members must be separated or on terminal leave on or before August 1, 2027
  • ROTC participants with a future service commitment are ineligible
Requirements
Must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Application materials
  • Most recent unofficial transcript
  • Personal statement
  • Resume
  • Two to three reference forms
How to apply
Register on the application portal to verify eligibility and receive account setup instructions to complete the online application.
Important dates
First week of April 2027: Award notification
Contact
  • Email: smart@smartscholarship.org
  • Phone: (571) 633-7940