National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grants assist those undergraduate postsecondary students that major in other languages or certain designated technical fields. Financial grant assistance is provided on need-basis that can help these students meet their educational expenses.
SMART Grants are overseen by way of the Department of Education and belong to the Federal Student Aid Information Center. In order to be entitled to a SMART Grant, students have to be signed up for eligible schools that might be public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education. These may include but are not limited to universities, colleges, hospital schools of nursing, vocational-technical schools and for- profit institutions.
Only specific majors meet the requirements to be considered for a SMART Grant. These are Science (including life sciences, physical science and computer science), Technology, Engineering, Critical foreign language studies, Liberal Arts and Sciences Mathematics, and certain natural resource conservation and multidisciplinary programs.
SMART Grants are not accessible for graduate students or those students who have already completed a bachelor's degree without any exceptions possible. The student has to be enrolled in a four year degree program, be in either their third or the fourth year of said program and be permitted to receive a Pell Grant in the same year that they want to be considered for a SMART Grant. Students must also maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Students really need to sign a statement of educational purpose, are not permitted to owe a refund on another a Title IV grant, and cannot currently have a Title IV loan that is defaulted.
While the program itself is overseen by the Department of Education, the institution that the student is enrolled in will act as the disbursing agent. The institution calculates and pays the SMART Grants. This is achieved using a payment schedule created by the Department of Education. The Department of Education will then calculate whether or not the student is eligible for assistance and the office the student sent the original application sent to will send the student a notification whether they were eligible for assistance. The student then delivers this received notification to the institution and will have their grant calculated from there. The funding available and the number of recipients that the institution estimates will determine this payment schedule.
The overall grants were $230,000,000 in 2007; approximately $260,000,000 in 2008; and approximately $270,000,000 in 2009. Depending on the need of the student and how much they are assigned, the grant received by way of the program can range upwards of $4000. SMART Grants assistance cannot exceed the student's actual cost of education. The normal reward for students was around $3,291.
Due to recent cutbacks, there is no guarantee word yet on whether or not the SMART Grant will be available for students for the 2011-2012 year and onwards.
SMART Grants are overseen by way of the Department of Education and belong to the Federal Student Aid Information Center. In order to be entitled to a SMART Grant, students have to be signed up for eligible schools that might be public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education. These may include but are not limited to universities, colleges, hospital schools of nursing, vocational-technical schools and for- profit institutions.
Only specific majors meet the requirements to be considered for a SMART Grant. These are Science (including life sciences, physical science and computer science), Technology, Engineering, Critical foreign language studies, Liberal Arts and Sciences Mathematics, and certain natural resource conservation and multidisciplinary programs.
SMART Grants are not accessible for graduate students or those students who have already completed a bachelor's degree without any exceptions possible. The student has to be enrolled in a four year degree program, be in either their third or the fourth year of said program and be permitted to receive a Pell Grant in the same year that they want to be considered for a SMART Grant. Students must also maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Students really need to sign a statement of educational purpose, are not permitted to owe a refund on another a Title IV grant, and cannot currently have a Title IV loan that is defaulted.
While the program itself is overseen by the Department of Education, the institution that the student is enrolled in will act as the disbursing agent. The institution calculates and pays the SMART Grants. This is achieved using a payment schedule created by the Department of Education. The Department of Education will then calculate whether or not the student is eligible for assistance and the office the student sent the original application sent to will send the student a notification whether they were eligible for assistance. The student then delivers this received notification to the institution and will have their grant calculated from there. The funding available and the number of recipients that the institution estimates will determine this payment schedule.
The overall grants were $230,000,000 in 2007; approximately $260,000,000 in 2008; and approximately $270,000,000 in 2009. Depending on the need of the student and how much they are assigned, the grant received by way of the program can range upwards of $4000. SMART Grants assistance cannot exceed the student's actual cost of education. The normal reward for students was around $3,291.
Due to recent cutbacks, there is no guarantee word yet on whether or not the SMART Grant will be available for students for the 2011-2012 year and onwards.
About the Author:
Michael Saunders is an editor of TopGovernmentGrants.com. He maintains Websites providing resources on grants for small business and philanthropy giving.. Free reprint available from: SMART Grants offers Educational Grants for the Student of Math, Science and Languages.