SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program (Department of War)
U.S. Department of War (formerly Department of Defense) - Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation
Full tuition plus a $30,000-$46,000 yearly stipend, paid summer internships, and a guaranteed civilian job with the Department of War
- How much
- full tuition + annual stipend of $30,000-$46,000 (by degree level) + health and book allowances
- Who qualifies
- Age 18+ by Jan 1, 2028; pursuing or starting a degree in Fall 2027 at a regionally accredited U.S. school; able to get and keep a security clearance; requesting 1-5 years of funding; summer internships required for awards over 1.5 years; one-for-one post-graduation civilian service commitment.
- For high school seniors, students starting college, undergrads, grad students
- For STEM - 22 SMART disciplines (e.g. aerospace, biomedical, chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, nuclear, software engineering; computer science; data science; math; physics; chemistry; biosciences; geosciences; oceanography; operations research) students
- Citizen of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or United Kingdom
- When to apply
- Open now · due December 4, 2026 Opens Aug 1 annually; closes the first Friday in December (Dec 4, 2026 for funding starting Aug 2027)
- How to apply
- Apply online between Aug 1 and the first Friday in December
- Pick Sponsoring Facilities that match your field
- What you'll need
- transcript + recommendation
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (smartscholarship.org) and page 2
The details
Merit-based scholarship for bachelor's, master's, and doctoral students in 22 STEM disciplines (non-technical degrees like management, arts, and humanities don't qualify). Covers full tuition at any U.S. accredited school, an annual stipend of $30,000-$46,000 depending on degree level, mentorship, health and book allowances, and summer internships at a Department of War facility. 1-5 years of funding. Service: one year of civilian DoW employment at your Sponsoring Facility for each year of funding. High school seniors and incoming freshmen can now apply.
More federal and national aid
- QuestBridge National College Matchfull four-year scholarship to a partner college (worth $360,000+; tuition, room/board, no loans)
- Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Programup to $55,000/yr for up to 4 years (last-dollar after institutional aid)
- Davidson Fellows Scholarship$100,000, $50,000, or $25,000 (one-time)
- Burger King Scholars Program$1,000 to $60,000 (most general-track awards $1,000 or $5,000; up to three $60,000 James W. McLamore WHOPPER Scholarships)
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)$37,000/yr stipend + $16,000/yr cost-of-education allowance to the school, for 3 years
Keep looking
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