The Unofficial SMART Scholarship Forum

[quote="Army_Robotics"]I graduated in May with my Masters and will be starting work September 6th. If I hadn't pestered both my SF and SMART I would be sitting here broke twiddling my thumbs.[/quote]

What are you doing about health insurance? You can't legally go that long without any. I think 2 months is the limit. Also, the last payment from SMART should be one month after graduation, right? At least that's what is in the handbook regardless of job status.

I graduated in May with my Masters and will be starting work September 6th. If I hadn't pestered both my SF and SMART I would be sitting here broke twiddling my thumbs.

[quote="Guest"][quote="Curious"]Does this have any bearing if the SSPP has been trying to get Phase 2 started but has had no luck from the DoD or SMART's side of things?:

From the Handbook, Section 14.2 "SSPPs begin the service commitment within 60 days of degree completion."[/quote]

You have to begin within 60 days only if they want you to.

You really need to give more info on what you mean by no luck. Did they have a spot for you and then it went away? Do they not really want you? Are they literally not responding to your requests?

From the 09 handbook, it looks like they own you for 2 years. I know that in the past people would keep receiving their stipend if a job was not available.

Following conferral of the degree for which funding was received, the Participant’s Sponsoring
Facility will hire the Participant as a full-time federal civilian employee.

Participants are generally required to take reasonable steps to accept employment for completion
of the post-graduation service such as completing an application for employment and/or
providing supplemental documentation such as curriculum vitas and transcripts.
Participants are expected to begin the post-graduation service within 30 days of degree conferral.
Requests to start the post-graduation service commitment later than 30 days after degree
conferral requires the prior written approval of both the SMART Program Office and the hiring
DoD facility.


In rare cases, the Sponsoring Facility may determine that the Participant’s skills and the
organization’s needs is not a good fit and/or the needs of the organization have changed such that
the anticipated need no longer exists. In such a case, the SMART Program Office will work first
with the Sponsoring Service to locate alternate placement within the Sponsoring Service. If
alternate placement within the Sponsoring Service cannot be found, the SMART Program Office
and/or the Participant will contact other participating DoD organizations to locate additional
placement options. If no option can be found, the case will be referred to OSD which will
determine whether the Participant’s post-graduation service commitment will be waived.

However, a Participant will not be required to reimburse the U.S. Government if:
a. Within two (2) years of the Participant completing his/her degree, a civilian
employment position is not available in the DoD due to changes in personnel
requirements, organizational realignment or staff reductions; or[/quote]


Hm... It doesn't seem like any of that is in the handbooks from the last couple of years (you quoted the 2009 handbook which many scholars aren't bound by). So the thing is I don't think recent SMART scholars are allowed to be held by that 2 year "rule". That is unless there is another revision soon that retroactively replaces the handbook they signed the contract under. Any other ideas on this? I think one of the above posts may be viable since it does say 60 days. At that point, the scholar has no income and should be allowed to address the issue of not being able to support themselves due to waiting for SMART or the SF.

[quote="Curious"]Does this have any bearing if the SSPP has been trying to get Phase 2 started but has had no luck from the DoD or SMART's side of things?:

From the Handbook, Section 14.2 "SSPPs begin the service commitment within 60 days of degree completion."[/quote]

You have to begin within 60 days only if they want you to.

You really need to give more info on what you mean by no luck. Did they have a spot for you and then it went away? Do they not really want you? Are they literally not responding to your requests?

From the 09 handbook, it looks like they own you for 2 years. I know that in the past people would keep receiving their stipend if a job was not available.

Following conferral of the degree for which funding was received, the Participant’s Sponsoring
Facility will hire the Participant as a full-time federal civilian employee.

Participants are generally required to take reasonable steps to accept employment for completion
of the post-graduation service such as completing an application for employment and/or
providing supplemental documentation such as curriculum vitas and transcripts.
Participants are expected to begin the post-graduation service within 30 days of degree conferral.
Requests to start the post-graduation service commitment later than 30 days after degree
conferral requires the prior written approval of both the SMART Program Office and the hiring
DoD facility.


In rare cases, the Sponsoring Facility may determine that the Participant’s skills and the
organization’s needs is not a good fit and/or the needs of the organization have changed such that
the anticipated need no longer exists. In such a case, the SMART Program Office will work first
with the Sponsoring Service to locate alternate placement within the Sponsoring Service. If
alternate placement within the Sponsoring Service cannot be found, the SMART Program Office
and/or the Participant will contact other participating DoD organizations to locate additional
placement options. If no option can be found, the case will be referred to OSD which will
determine whether the Participant’s post-graduation service commitment will be waived.

However, a Participant will not be required to reimburse the U.S. Government if:
a. Within two (2) years of the Participant completing his/her degree, a civilian
employment position is not available in the DoD due to changes in personnel
requirements, organizational realignment or staff reductions; or

Does this have any bearing if the SSPP has been trying to get Phase 2 started but has had no luck from the DoD or SMART's side of things?:

From the Handbook, Section 14.2 "SSPPs begin the service commitment within 60 days of degree completion."

I had to reach out to my SF and the person listed as my mentor. He was able to get the ball rolling with HR. Like the previous response stated you need to make it happen otherwise it wont. And in regards to pay/grade I was very happy with what they offered so I did not need to negotiate but also felt like negotiating would not do anything.

There's another semi-recent thread on this somewhere.

Basically, you're going to need to reach out to them and make it happen. Otherwise, it's the government and who knows when they'll get around to it.

Also, there's likely not going to be any negotiation.

Has anyone received any information on start dates, or any pay/grade discussions? Very curious to know if and when people are starting since I don't have anything decided yet by my SF. It is almost June after all... And nothing.