Travel Allowance and Internship Support Payments

General Discussion for SMART Scholarship Recipients
Newport NUWC

Travel Allowance and Internship Support Payments

Post by Newport NUWC »

I was awarded the SMART scholarship for my Master's, which I will complete in the Boston area. Based on previous posts and the Recruitment Site Visit Request, I expected to receive $2000 for the travel allowance (Newport is about 85 miles from Boston, where I live and will live during school/summer). I received $500, and when I reached out to SMART about the reduction, I received this response:

Thank you for your email. As stated on the Site Visit Request form: “Based on the availability of funds, recruitment SSPPs whose summer address is 50 miles or more from the SF may receive a $2,000 flat rate for travel to and from the site visit.” Based on the distance between your summer address and SF address, you were eligible for the $500 Site Visit Allotment.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

American Society for Engineering Education


This isn't reall an issue, but it made me wonder if my ISP's would be reduced as well. I emailed about this, and received the following response:

Thank you for your email. As stated in the 2017 Participant Handbook:

“Eligible recruitment SSPPs completing internships may receive Internship Support Payments (ISPs) in addition to the monthly stipend. ISPs are intended to support the cost of travel, lodging, meals, transportation, and incidental expenses. If eligible, recruitment SSPPs may receive ISPs in addition to the monthly stipend payment during the internship period.

Eligibility for ISPs is determined based on the SSPP academic address. Recruitment SSPPs whose academic address is 50 miles or more from the SF/internship location are eligible for ISPs. SSPPs are notified of whether they are eligible for ISPs when their Recruitment Internship Request is processed by the SSP.”

Please let us know if you have any questions.


Has anyone received less than the standard ISP of $1000 weekly due to proximity to their SF?

Thanks!

MakingItRain

Re: Travel Allowance and Internship Support Payments

Post by MakingItRain »

Newport NUWC wrote:I was awarded the SMART scholarship for my Master's, which I will complete in the Boston area. Based on previous posts and the Recruitment Site Visit Request, I expected to receive $2000 for the travel allowance (Newport is about 85 miles from Boston, where I live and will live during school/summer). I received $500, and when I reached out to SMART about the reduction, I received this response:

Thank you for your email. As stated on the Site Visit Request form: “Based on the availability of funds, recruitment SSPPs whose summer address is 50 miles or more from the SF may receive a $2,000 flat rate for travel to and from the site visit.” Based on the distance between your summer address and SF address, you were eligible for the $500 Site Visit Allotment.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

American Society for Engineering Education


This isn't reall an issue, but it made me wonder if my ISP's would be reduced as well. I emailed about this, and received the following response:

Thank you for your email. As stated in the 2017 Participant Handbook:

“Eligible recruitment SSPPs completing internships may receive Internship Support Payments (ISPs) in addition to the monthly stipend. ISPs are intended to support the cost of travel, lodging, meals, transportation, and incidental expenses. If eligible, recruitment SSPPs may receive ISPs in addition to the monthly stipend payment during the internship period.

Eligibility for ISPs is determined based on the SSPP academic address. Recruitment SSPPs whose academic address is 50 miles or more from the SF/internship location are eligible for ISPs. SSPPs are notified of whether they are eligible for ISPs when their Recruitment Internship Request is processed by the SSP.”

Please let us know if you have any questions.


Has anyone received less than the standard ISP of $1000 weekly due to proximity to their SF?

Thanks!
If I were you I would try replying to the first email and explain the details to them again. SMART uses google maps to verify the distance, so you could plug in the two addresses and attach a screenshot. It seems to me, like someone has made a mistake. They said right in their email if you are over 50 miles you get travel funds at a FLAT RATE. That means they directly contradicted themselves by telling you, you were getting a different amount. What might have happened is they misentered the address and it ended up being less than 50 miles.

In my experience, SMART has been very reasonable and generous with the ISPs. This year and last year, my distance was a little under 50 miles, and I was given the full ISPs any way.

kbl2017
Posts: 339
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 10:48 pm
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Re: Travel Allowance and Internship Support Payments

Post by kbl2017 »

MakingItRain wrote:
Newport NUWC wrote:I was awarded the SMART scholarship for my Master's, which I will complete in the Boston area. Based on previous posts and the Recruitment Site Visit Request, I expected to receive $2000 for the travel allowance (Newport is about 85 miles from Boston, where I live and will live during school/summer). I received $500, and when I reached out to SMART about the reduction, I received this response:

Thank you for your email. As stated on the Site Visit Request form: “Based on the availability of funds, recruitment SSPPs whose summer address is 50 miles or more from the SF may receive a $2,000 flat rate for travel to and from the site visit.” Based on the distance between your summer address and SF address, you were eligible for the $500 Site Visit Allotment.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

American Society for Engineering Education


This isn't reall an issue, but it made me wonder if my ISP's would be reduced as well. I emailed about this, and received the following response:

Thank you for your email. As stated in the 2017 Participant Handbook:

“Eligible recruitment SSPPs completing internships may receive Internship Support Payments (ISPs) in addition to the monthly stipend. ISPs are intended to support the cost of travel, lodging, meals, transportation, and incidental expenses. If eligible, recruitment SSPPs may receive ISPs in addition to the monthly stipend payment during the internship period.

Eligibility for ISPs is determined based on the SSPP academic address. Recruitment SSPPs whose academic address is 50 miles or more from the SF/internship location are eligible for ISPs. SSPPs are notified of whether they are eligible for ISPs when their Recruitment Internship Request is processed by the SSP.”

Please let us know if you have any questions.


Has anyone received less than the standard ISP of $1000 weekly due to proximity to their SF?

Thanks!
If I were you I would try replying to the first email and explain the details to them again. SMART uses google maps to verify the distance, so you could plug in the two addresses and attach a screenshot. It seems to me, like someone has made a mistake. They said right in their email if you are over 50 miles you get travel funds at a FLAT RATE. That means they directly contradicted themselves by telling you, you were getting a different amount. What might have happened is they misentered the address and it ended up being less than 50 miles.

In my experience, SMART has been very reasonable and generous with the ISPs. This year and last year, my distance was a little under 50 miles, and I was given the full ISPs any way.
Question to this - while my school is within the 50 miles, I will be paying for things I wouldn't normally be paying for if I were spending the summer at home on the other side of the country. I also will need to get a car for the internship semester and such that I will not have during the semester. Do they work with me for that or because my school is close I am therefore too close to get anything?

MakingItRain

Re: Travel Allowance and Internship Support Payments

Post by MakingItRain »

kbl2017 wrote: Question to this - while my school is within the 50 miles, I will be paying for things I wouldn't normally be paying for if I were spending the summer at home on the other side of the country. I also will need to get a car for the internship semester and such that I will not have during the semester. Do they work with me for that or because my school is close I am therefore too close to get anything?
My philosophy with things like this is it never hurts to ask. To give yourself the best shot of getting a yes, I would consider the following:

1) It sounds like your academic to SF distance is under 50, but your summer/home to SF distance is over 50. While the internship request form uses the old language of "academic address," starting in 2016 the participant handbook was changed to say "summer address." I think you would likely be able to reference this and get the support payments, giving the reason you said above.

2) For people for whom both addresses is under the 50 miles, make sure you check the route Google maps sends you. Like I said above, SMART uses Google maps to confirm the distance, and it generally defaults to the shortest route by distance. If this route takes you through major cities unnecessarily, then it is possible with traffic the route is significantly longer based on the travel time then the other routes. You can often make the case that a slightly longer route, which avoids these areas, is more practical and realistic. If this other route is over 50 miles, SMART will likely give you funding. (Send them a screenshot from Google maps showing the modified route and explaining the situation).

Don't abuse #2, though. They are going to check the route, so if you make some ridiculous route just to put it over 50 miles, they will find out, and you will likely get in trouble. Only do it if you can genuinely say your new route is better.

Newport NUWC

Re: Travel Allowance and Internship Support Payments

Post by Newport NUWC »

I called SMART just to clarify, and explained my situation. They informed me that there are now two allotments for travel allowances, $500 for people reasonably close to their SF and $2000 for others (I'm not sure what "reasonably" close is). I was also informed that this does not affect ISPs.

MakingItRain

Re: Travel Allowance and Internship Support Payments

Post by MakingItRain »

Newport NUWC wrote:I called SMART just to clarify, and explained my situation. They informed me that there are now two allotments for travel allowances, $500 for people reasonably close to their SF and $2000 for others (I'm not sure what "reasonably" close is). I was also informed that this does not affect ISPs.
That's a shame, hopefully you didn't need the full amount. Really seems like they should change the wording of their template email response though. If there are two options for payments made to students over 50 miles away, then it isn't really a "flat" rate, now is it.

Malarious

Re: Travel Allowance and Internship Support Payments

Post by Malarious »

I agree this should be clarified.

They use the word "may" before qualify, so they left wiggle room in their response. I assume not intended on their part, just something that hasn't been updated.

guest1

Re: Travel Allowance and Internship Support Payments

Post by guest1 »

Hey guys, I was told I was eligible to receive an ISP when I submitted my request form. 3 weeks later I get an email saying my first form was "processed incorrectly" and I was now required to pay back my first set of ISPs in full. The change in mileage (both calculated by SMART) was 8 miles. I live 49 miles from my facililty, I'm in discussions with smart about this, but just be careful and CONFIRM that your form was correctly processed before spending your ISPs.

DifferentGuest

Re: Travel Allowance and Internship Support Payments

Post by DifferentGuest »

guest1 wrote:Hey guys, I was told I was eligible to receive an ISP when I submitted my request form. 3 weeks later I get an email saying my first form was "processed incorrectly" and I was now required to pay back my first set of ISPs in full. The change in mileage (both calculated by SMART) was 8 miles. I live 49 miles from my facililty, I'm in discussions with smart about this, but just be careful and CONFIRM that your form was correctly processed before spending your ISPs.
I would politely push back hard on this, if I were you. If they gave you back your internship request form with signed approval that you were eligible for the funds, it is very unfair and unreasonable of them to request them back. It is probably within their rights, but still not a very nice thing to do. If its true, tell them that you already spent or obligated the funds to your housing. Maybe they will compromise somehow. If I were them, I would let you keep what had already been given, and just not pay you any additional ISPs.

Guest1

Re: Travel Allowance and Internship Support Payments

Post by Guest1 »

DifferentGuest wrote:
guest1 wrote:Hey guys, I was told I was eligible to receive an ISP when I submitted my request form. 3 weeks later I get an email saying my first form was "processed incorrectly" and I was now required to pay back my first set of ISPs in full. The change in mileage (both calculated by SMART) was 8 miles. I live 49 miles from my facililty, I'm in discussions with smart about this, but just be careful and CONFIRM that your form was correctly processed before spending your ISPs.
I would politely push back hard on this, if I were you. If they gave you back your internship request form with signed approval that you were eligible for the funds, it is very unfair and unreasonable of them to request them back. It is probably within their rights, but still not a very nice thing to do. If its true, tell them that you already spent or obligated the funds to your housing. Maybe they will compromise somehow. If I were them, I would let you keep what had already been given, and just not pay you any additional ISPs.
I'm still right on the limit, so I'm currently fighting with them to get the funding back. They said "We are discussing this situation." 7 days ago now. I provided proof that my preferred route is 51.2 miles.

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