What percent of recipients are undergrads

[Josh UofU]

I have been reading through the forum and a lot of people who have said that they received the scholarship have also said they are Ph.D or masters students. I am an undergrad student and was wondering if I have a shot at the scholarship I am a Sophomore with a 3.96 GPA in Electrical Engineering and am part of the Honors College at the University of Utah. I have never served in the military and have never had an sort of government clearance. I am just wondering if I should get my hopes up or not. Also I will be offered to do a combined bachelors/masters degree but not until next school year and as such will they allow for the extra year to get the masters after the offer is made? Any advice would be great as well as if anyone has received the scholarship for an undergrad degree.

[Guest]

With that GPA and resume, seek elsewhere for funding. You don't want to commit 2+ years to government wages.

Tough it out, take out a student loan if need be, but you will be making 2-3x as much as a SMART scholar will upon graduation, and you won't have the headaches of dealing with SMART.

[undergrad]

I am currently an undergrad in the scholarship. I think you should look at other scholarships with your credentials but the smart scholarship is worth it if you don't mind working for the government. You have to think about you and what you want.

[123EEforME]

I am currently starting my Sophomore year as an undergrad Electrical Engineering major with a 3.97 GPA. I never served in the military or held a government position, however, I was still awarded three years of funding to finish my undergrad degree. From my experience, I believe you will be offered an award; just remember nothing is certain as there are many factors (budget is one) outside of your control. Also, it is true that government jobs come with headaches and that your potential government wage will likely be uncompetitive, but you would be wise to factor in the value of what you get during college. After about $31,000 for tuition, $25,000 a year for room/board/miscellaneous expenses, and $2,200 for books/health insurance, the annual value for me is about $60,000 (this can vary greatly depending on tuition). So if working for the DoD interests you, I believe it is a good deal; but if you simply apply for the money, it is likely you will end up hating your government job. This is simply my opinion, and since I have never worked for the government, it is subject to change.

With regards to your combined bachelors/masters degree, currently SMART participants are able to apply for an extension their SMART award length (I say currently because this could change anytime). From what I understand, you simply go through the same application process for an extension as the initial application process into the program. The key word here is you "apply" for it; I do not think you are guaranteed to get the extension, but with your credentials it is likely you would get it. I hope this assists you in making the best decision for your situation.