The Unofficial SMART Scholarship Forum

Any update from anyone on this?

I will continue the encouragement that SMART will pay you, albeit at the scholarship rate, until you start at your SF. The only hard deadline I've heard of is needing to begin working at your SF within 2 years of your normal school funding ending (or be considered delinquent). That's the scary part ...

I accepted the SMART award at the end of June and was contacted to complete my SF86 in mid-August. The interview portion didn't start until the following July for me. It then took 7 more months for them to finish. If you're approved an interim clearance, you should be fine for the first summer inter...

The process for me took 18 months (August '17 - February '19), but I was approved in the end. Why did the process take so long for you, if you don't mind saying? The only thing I was told was that I was denied an interim clearance, which I learned 7 months after completing my paperwork. The intervi...

Yeah, that hasn't been my experience either. I'm also in the Navy and I've worked with Monica S. since 12/2017 and that just changed in the last two weeks to Katy T. Seems like you're being passed around a bit more than necessary.

I tend to avoid the Portal at all costs. The new one is better, but it's still pretty useless. You'll eventually need to complete a SAAR (SMART Agreement Amendment Request) with your military branch coordinator (e.g. Navy). I'm under the impression you can request extensions, but not reductions to y...

You'll need to complete a SAAR (SMART Agreement Amendment Request) to change your sponsoring facility. It will require a personal statement on why a change is requested and also a letter of support from your current SF. This is completed through your SMART military branch coordinator (e.g. Navy). It...

I had it from my facility and SMART that if my clearance were denied for something I was upfront and honest about, I would not have to repay anything. I was concerned from the beginning of gaining a Secret level clearance. The process for me took 18 months (August '17 - February '19), but I was appr...

I made business cards when I left my past job and started graduate school. I do a lot of networking, predominately with undergraduate students (where I'm the "adult") so it's useful to have them. Mine literally says my name, "Physicist," and then my contact information. They were pretty cheap and lo...

That sounds like a really awful situation. A good relationship with your advisor is absolutely critical to successful graduate studies. If you've already completed your coursework, then this seems to be an issue with your department. I agree with the suggestions above that you should elevate this is...

I just listed my occupation as Student and my Employer as the SMART Scholarship. I wasn't ever asked for anything more than that.

I was offered the scholarship at the end of May and visited my SF in June. I accepted the award and started the clearance process in August. That included being fingerprinted. They didn't begin interviews for my background check for 11 months after that. I was never drug tested, just interviewed by ...

A few responses: 1. If you are denied clearance because of something you are upfront about and don't try to hide it or lie, you do not pay back any money. You are removed from the program and that's it. I received this in writing from my SF before accepting my award, because I was legitimately conce...