Summer Internship/Cash Award

[Ian]

Under the "Benefits" heading on the SMART website, it lists "Cash Award" and 'Paid Summer Internship" as separate benefits. I will be applying as a BS so, as I've read, my award will be 25k/yr. Is this 25k divided up among the time you're in school, and then you get paid a different amount during the summer? Or does the 25k stipend serve as your paycheck while interning?

[Chris Moulder]

The cash award is paid out during the entire time that you are in the program. It will probably start in August after orientation and end in June or July depending on when you finish school and your facility can hire you. The payout is also prorated, so if the payout start date is August and you start work before July, you will not receive the final month's pay. During the summer internships, you will receive your normal award + the $1200/wk stipend.

[Guest]

Don't forget that's only if you're more than 50 miles from "home". Home being your permanent residence, not your school, or dorm.

[Ian]

Any of my 3 preferred locations would be very far away from my permanent residence, so I suppose I would qualify for the stipend.

Is there any literature/info on the stipend? $1200/wk is certainly a large amount of money, in addition to the $2000+/month from the cash award. Is that the rate for every location?

Also, I have several non-federal scholarships. I saw that all federal scholarships will be voided if the award is accepted, but will I continue to receive state scholarships and university scholarships?

[Guest]

Ian, you will only be allowed to keep scholarships up to $5000. I'm not sure if thats $5k a year or $5k total. I think it's total.

[Chris Moulder]

It's 5k/yr. They've been working on getting it changed, but I haven't seen anything recently. I know it's not up to them.

It's in the handbook. I know the link is floating around here, but you should be able to find it in the recipients area of the smart website somewhere.

[SMART Scholar]

Actually I believe that the $1200/week you receive during your summer internship is 50 miles away from your ACADEMIC address. Here is an excerpt from the Student Handbook on pg. 49 (it's located on the SMART Scholarship Website) as my source.

11.2. Internship Support Payments and Travel Costs
Participants continue to receive their monthly cash award payments throughout the internship period.
In addition to the cash award payment, Participants completing internships located 50 miles or more
from their academic address will receive internship support payments to fund travel.

The “academic address” is the Participant’s current address of record while enrolled at the academic
institution. The academic address is usually a temporary address located near the academic institution
and is NOT the Participant’s legal permanent residence. In determining whether an address is the
academic address, the Program will consider the Participant’s intent to remain/return, as well as the
location where the Participant is registered to vote, pay taxes, registers automobiles, and obtains a
driver’s license. In some cases, the academic address may be the same as the permanent address.


Source: The SMART Handbook, a SMART Scholar