The Unofficial SMART Scholarship Forum

Hey guys this may sound a little unprofessional but how exactly does drug testing work? I read up and found that accepted candidates have to go through a polygraph and urinalysis but I also heard that some of the positions we'd be given require security clearance which also requires hair testing. Is that the case and if so would that even take place this summer, or would we not be tested until our internships start next summer? Also, are drug-related questions asked during the polygraph?

dsw1692 wrote:Hey guys this may sound a little unprofessional but how exactly does drug testing work? I read up and found that accepted candidates have to go through a polygraph and urinalysis but I also heard that some of the positions we'd be given require security clearance which also requires hair testing. Is that the case and if so would that even take place this summer, or would we not be tested until our internships start next summer? Also, are drug-related questions asked during the polygraph?

First off, candidates don’t go through a poly or UA, and you might not have to UA for you job either. Only if it’s classified as a specific sensitivity level do you have to periodically drug screen. TS clearances require this, but most secret positions do not. Which you wouldn’t even test for until after you graduate, since SMART only clears you for secret. However, with that said, you cannot get a clearance if you’ve used certain drugs, or in certain quantities, in a very specific timeframe… unless you lie (DO NOT). They will ask about your usage as part of the clearance process. You might get away with lying during the initial check, but you will be caught if you then need to get a TS. They will poly you about passed answers, and you will fail. In addition, the SSBI actually has agents visit and interview your “inner circle.” They will find out you lied, and that is grounds for immediate denial. That means that you would lose your job (almost 100% guaranteed) and would be responsible for paying back SMART.

Now my bigger question is why would you even attempt to work for the government and use drugs? Working for the government means you have to obey all laws all the time (or face punishment). This isn’t like working in the civilian world where your job doesn’t care if you have a DUI so long as you still come to work Monday. You will lose your clearance and job. Even mundane things like speeding tickets can lose you your clearance. I personally don’t believe natural drugs (Marijuana, Peyote, etc.) should be illegal, but while I work for the government these things are completely off limits. You cannot even use where it’s legal within the state because you will lose your job because it’s federally illegal. Not to sound degrading, but if you want to use and work for the government you’re an idiot. There’s simply no place for it.

Nunya wrote:

dsw1692 wrote:Hey guys this may sound a little unprofessional but how exactly does drug testing work? I read up and found that accepted candidates have to go through a polygraph and urinalysis but I also heard that some of the positions we'd be given require security clearance which also requires hair testing. Is that the case and if so would that even take place this summer, or would we not be tested until our internships start next summer? Also, are drug-related questions asked during the polygraph?

First off, candidates don’t go through a poly or UA, and you might not have to UA for you job either. Only if it’s classified as a specific sensitivity level do you have to periodically drug screen. TS clearances require this, but most secret positions do not. Which you wouldn’t even test for until after you graduate, since SMART only clears you for secret. However, with that said, you cannot get a clearance if you’ve used certain drugs, or in certain quantities, in a very specific timeframe… unless you lie (DO NOT). They will ask about your usage as part of the clearance process. You might get away with lying during the initial check, but you will be caught if you then need to get a TS. They will poly you about passed answers, and you will fail. In addition, the SSBI actually has agents visit and interview your “inner circle.” They will find out you lied, and that is grounds for immediate denial. That means that you would lose your job (almost 100% guaranteed) and would be responsible for paying back SMART.

Now my bigger question is why would you even attempt to work for the government and use drugs? Working for the government means you have to obey all laws all the time (or face punishment). This isn’t like working in the civilian world where your job doesn’t care if you have a DUI so long as you still come to work Monday. You will lose your clearance and job. Even mundane things like speeding tickets can lose you your clearance. I personally don’t believe natural drugs (Marijuana, Peyote, etc.) should be illegal, but while I work for the government these things are completely off limits. You cannot even use where it’s legal within the state because you will lose your job because it’s federally illegal. Not to sound degrading, but if you want to use and work for the government you’re an idiot. There’s simply no place for it.

Thanks for the advice. I wasn't implying I was going to use while under their employment, I've actually been completely clean since January specifically because of this scholarship, I just wanted to to know timeframes.

Unfortunately, due to recent events, you might also see investigations tighten up a little bit. What may have been written off as a youthful indiscretion 2 weeks ago could very well likely be considered a dis-qualifier going forward. The folks at my sponsor facility have said that after Wikileaks started publishing classified documents, clearances suddenly took 2-3x longer to get. I'm guessing something similar will happen now, but I don't know for certain.