In recognition of the outstanding talent and achievements of many of our overseas applicants, we are pleased to be offering our SMART Scholarship.
The SMART scholarship represents a £2000 discount that will be applied to the first year of your tuition fees. The scholarship is awarded as part of the admissions process and is based on your application to study; there is no separate form to complete. Successful applicants will be notified in their offer letter.
Eligibility
The SMART application is open August through December of every year, with awards being granted the following spring. Review the below requirements to ensure you are eligible to apply for this life-changing opportunity.
All applicants must be:
- a citizen of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or United Kingdom at time of application,
- 18 years of age or older as of August 1, 2022
- requesting at least 1 year of degree funding prior to graduation (which starts at the program start date),
- able to complete at least one summer internship (multi-year scholars only)
- willing to accept post-graduation employment with the DoD,
- a student in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale,
- pursuing a technical undergraduate or graduate degree in one of the 21 STEM disciplines listed below,
- able to produce a fall 2021 college transcript from a regionally accredited US college or university, OR be pursuing a graduate degree at a regionally accredited US college or university.
Active duty military members who wish to apply for the SMART Scholarship must be separated or on terminal leave on or before August 1, 2022, to be eligible. Reserve and National Guard members are eligible to apply. Current ROTC participants with a future service commitment are not eligible to apply
For more information, watch the SMART Eligibility Requirements video.
What kind of STEM?
The program focuses on students pursuing disciplines that are critical to the national security functions of the Department of Defense (DoD). The following is a list of SMART’s 21 approved STEM disciplines. These disciplines are general umbrella disciplines – specific applicant majors or fields of study may fall under one or more disciplines on this list.
Please note, non-technical degrees, including management, arts, or humanities, are not approved or funded by SMART.
- Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
- Biosciences
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences
- Computer and Computational Sciences and Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Environmental Sciences
- Geosciences
- Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Information Sciences
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
- Nuclear Engineering
- Oceanography
- Operations Research
- Physics
What you need to know:
Scholarships are awarded for a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of 5 years of funding, depending on degree requirements. SMART is a one-for-one commitment; for every year of degree funding, the scholar commits to working for a year with the DoD as a civilian employee.
Undergraduate applicants
- Must be currently enrolled at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university
- Must be able to produce a fall 2021 (or earlier) college transcript at the end of the term
- AP coursework is not considered college credit
Graduate applicants
- Can be either currently enrolled in a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or awaiting notification of admission
- If awaiting admission, you must be accepted for entrance in the fall 2022 term
Who is eligible for the SMART scholarship?
To be eligible for the SMART scholarship, you must:
- Be an international tuition fee-paying student.
- Have accepted an offer for a full-time taught course at Staffordshire University (Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, and London campuses only). This excludes undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Nursing, Paramedic Science, Operating Department Practice, Social Work, Midwifery, blended and distance learning courses.
You won’t be eligible if you:
- Are receiving full or partial funding for your studies from a sponsor or other scholarship provider
- Are applying to study a Staffordshire University course at a partner institution
- Are receiving any other Staffordshire University scholarship or discount. If you are eligible for another Staffordshire University scholarship or discount, the discount which holds the greatest value will be applied
- Are applying to join a Postgraduate Research course
Further details:
- The scholarship applies at the start of your studies at the University and will be deducted from tuition fees.
- Scholarships are applied as a fee discount and will be demonstrated on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
- Only applicable to students joining in September 2022 or January 2023 and cannot be redeemed if offer is deferred to a later intake
When is the deadline?
There is no deadline for the SMART scholarship, but you must ensure that you submit your application with sufficient time to meet all conditions of your offer and obtain a visa to arrive on time for the start of International Welcome Week in September 2022 or January 2023.
All applications from eligible students will be considered for a scholarship by our International Admissions team. You will be notified of your scholarship in your offer letter and the discount will be automatically applied to your first-year tuition fee.
Questions and enquiries
If you have any questions about the SMART scholarship, please contact the Enquiries team at [email protected]
Our courses
Still, deciding which course is right for you? Explore our range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
