Search found 17 matches

by Vandal
Fri Oct 27, 2023 7:40 pm
Forum: Recipients
Topic: Might be getting fired - what now?
Replies: 4
Views: 19064

Re: Might be getting fired - what now?

Vandat, that’s great info. How about interest, what’s the interest rate? I don't have interest rate info, if you reach out to your coordinator they can tell you "the grand total of funding that you received while in Phase 1". I reached out to my coordinator previously a good half dozen months into ...
by Vandal
Wed Sep 06, 2023 11:55 am
Forum: Recipients
Topic: Does getting a 'W' (dropping a class after the deadline) or failing a course put you at risk for non-compliance?
Replies: 1
Views: 14555

Re: Does getting a 'W' (dropping a class after the deadline) or failing a course put you at risk for non-compliance?

From past experience with a similar situation I wouldn't worry about it too much. So long as it is not a class that absolutely has to be done that semester, IE its a prereq for later classes that cant be shifted around without delaying your graduation date, you should be fine. I had a similar situat...
by Vandal
Wed Jun 28, 2023 11:45 am
Forum: Recipients
Topic: DoD Contractor Employment
Replies: 5
Views: 18444

Re: DoD Contractor Employment

Great, thank you for your advice! My only issue is that I already have free tuition, meaning the only thing I’d be gaining is 30k a year for 2 years, and a job offer. So I’d get 60k along with a lower starting salary than the private sector, which I don’t feel is really worth it for me in exchange ...
by Vandal
Tue Jun 27, 2023 10:11 am
Forum: Recipients
Topic: DoD Contractor Employment
Replies: 5
Views: 18444

Re: DoD Contractor Employment

While no-one other than you can/should make the decision on whether to accept or rescind the SMART scholarship I would recommend you take it. I have heard plenty of stories that shine both a good, or poor, light on the program but for myself, being 2 years into a 3 year commitment, I am very happy w...
by Vandal
Tue Oct 25, 2022 11:15 am
Forum: Recipients
Topic: Might be getting fired - what now?
Replies: 4
Views: 19064

Re: Might be getting fired - what now?

I can't speak on anything regarding the requirement to pay back your remaining funds due to being fired vs quitting, I would suggest reaching out to your SMART coordinator to get more info on that. However I can speak to how the requirements were laid out to me regarding repayment as I made sure to ...
by Vandal
Tue Apr 05, 2022 5:06 pm
Forum: Recipients
Topic: Summer classes
Replies: 1
Views: 2092

Re: Summer classes

During the summer 2020 and 2021 COVID times SMART actually strongly "suggested" students take summer classes as there was no internship requirements. During summer 2021 I took a couple classes to keep busy over the summer since no internships were occuring and I was even able to get approval and eve...
by Vandal
Tue Apr 05, 2022 4:50 pm
Forum: Recipients
Topic: Multiple Scholarships
Replies: 3
Views: 2832

Re: Multiple Scholarships

I can't speak on any specifics to UofSC nor even how to talk with your school's cashiers office as my experience was just using my schools default process but SMART automatically sends the full payment of the tuition to your schools account regardless of the current balance (such as if some of the b...
by Vandal
Thu Mar 24, 2022 12:09 pm
Forum: Recipients
Topic: Security Clearance
Replies: 4
Views: 4053

Re: Security Clearance

Thanks for your reply! So you are scholar and this was your process? This makes me feel much better as someone I know that did security clearance for a contracting job was describing and it sounds what they had to do would just be super intimidating haha Correct, I'm currently a scholar and what I ...
by Vandal
Wed Mar 23, 2022 10:27 am
Forum: Recipients
Topic: Security Clearance
Replies: 4
Views: 4053

Re: Security Clearance

From what I've heard in the past year of being at my SF I don't believe everyone on the program has to go through the security clearance process. Just individuals that have the potential to be dealing with sensitive information, and that can be anything from "top secret info" (I don't actually know ...
by Vandal
Fri Feb 25, 2022 10:51 am
Forum: Recipients
Topic: internship duration
Replies: 4
Views: 3754

Re: internship duration

I cant speak for "average" but mine was ~$1k per week if I recall correctly. That being said I'm pretty sure theres a requirement that you have to have your listed address as over X amount of miles (50mi?) away from your SF in order to qualify for the extra internship support payments, otherwise you...
by Vandal
Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:40 pm
Forum: Recipients
Topic: internship duration
Replies: 4
Views: 3754

Re: internship duration

What I recall from my experience during internships (I'm in phase 2 now) is that my SF didn't really have any preference for longer or shorter. Since you're still only an intern and cant take on large projects, you'll mostly be doing work that's not very important and tbh rather tedious/menial. Pers...
by Vandal
Tue Jul 23, 2019 7:22 pm
Forum: Recipients
Topic: Volunteer CAC
Replies: 7
Views: 8349

Re: Volunteer CAC

Mine is a "Volunteer" card, it doesn't even have my picture on the front like the CAC cards normally do. But it does work with the security systems and lets me get access to the computers so its only difference is appearance really.
by Vandal
Tue Jul 23, 2019 7:16 pm
Forum: General Questions and the Application
Topic: Award without interview
Replies: 3
Views: 5139

Re: Award without interview

About a week into summer after I applied last year I received an email that stated I was declined for the award. The following week I was told that the amount of awards has increased and I was back in the running. Then another week after that I was informed I had been awarded the scholarship, all wi...
by Vandal
Tue Jul 23, 2019 11:11 am
Forum: Recipients
Topic: ACT-ED vs Local USACE
Replies: 0
Views: 5477

ACT-ED vs Local USACE

So I am currently going into my junior year/second year under SMART and during my internship this summer I was hearing some things about the difference between being an ACT-ED vs a locally funded EIT. Specifically that ACT-EDs arn't given the special SSR rate for being an engineer but that locally f...
by Vandal
Mon Jul 22, 2019 12:05 pm
Forum: Recipients
Topic: Tuition Letter
Replies: 6
Views: 10366

Re: Tuition Letter

For the 2018-2019 year SMART had emailed me the copy of my cover letter as well as including it under the Scholar Login under "My Documents". After an email to SMART last week they told me my cover letter is available solely via the "My Documents" in the Scholar Login so I would suggest checking you...
by Vandal
Wed Jul 17, 2019 7:18 pm
Forum: Recipients
Topic: Stipend Clarification
Replies: 3
Views: 5614

Re: Stipend Clarification

You have your normal monthly support rate and in ADDITION you can have the $1,000 a week if your "summer residence" is outside of the 50 mile radius from your SF. NOTE: 1) You can only get up to 12 weeks of the extra $1,000 a week, anything passed 12 weeks you don't get anything extra. 2) If you wor...
by Vandal
Wed Jul 17, 2019 11:00 am
Forum: Recipients
Topic: Monthly did anybody get paid thread
Replies: 9
Views: 12484

Re: Monthly did anybody get paid thread

I got paid just last night around 7:00pm PST.