The SMART Scholarship

The SMART Scholarship is for students currently enrolled at a college or university or with previous college credit. Applicants should already possess a college transcript from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or will have a college transcript by the end of the fall term. The SMART Scholarship is also open to those pursuing or who will be pursuing a graduate degree at a regionally accredited U.S. institution.

The first step to a rewarding civilian career with the DoD is reviewing the eligibility requirements for both opportunities, starting with the 24 SMART STEM disciplines. These disciplines are general disciplines – specific majors or fields of study may fall under one or more discipline on this list. All applicants should be pursuing a degree in one of SMART’s 24 STEM disciplines.

Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
Biosciences
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
Please note, non-technical degrees, including management, arts, or humanities, are not approved or funded by SMART.

Program Eligibility for All Scholarships
Be a citizen of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or United Kingdom
Be 18 years of age or older by January 1, 2026
Have and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Be currently pursuing, or intend to pursue in fall 2025, a degree in a SMART STEM discipline
Be requesting between 1-5 years of degree funding. Degree funding will start in August 2025
Complete summer internships
Accept a one-for-one post graduation service commitment as a civilian employee of the Department of Defense
Additional Requirements for SMART Scholarships
Produce a fall 2024 transcript from a regionally accredited U.S. college, OR intend to pursue a graduate degree in fall 2025.