Science , Mathematics , And Research For Transformation ( SMART ) Defense Scholarship Program The Science , Mathematics , And Research For Transformation ( SMART ) Defense Scholarship Program was tested as a program in 2005 under the Air Force Office of Scientific Research . SMART was fully established by the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006 , and was assigned to the Navy Postgraduate School ( NPS ) as the managing agency in late 2005 - early 2006 . The SMART scholarship program is a Department of Defense ( DoD ) workforce development program created to address the growing gap between America and the rest of the world in the Science , Technology , Engineering and Mathematics ( STEM ) disciplines . SMART facilitates this goal by recruiting and retaining some of the best and brightest STEM candidates in the nation . SMART is a DoD civilian scholarship - for - service program which is a part of the National Defense Education Program ( NDEP ) . Like other NDEP programs , SMART is funded through the Office of the Secretary of Defense . Requirements . The program is open to current and prospective students , including current DoD employees who meet the following requirements : " While these are the minimum requirements , the average GPA is well over 3 . 0 , with the current 2009 cohort year averaging 3 . 73 on a 4 . 0 scale . " Benefits . Students who are accepted receive the following benefits : Students are required to pay back the scholarship by working with the Department of Defense in a 1 - 1 year ratio . This work is a paid position within a specific DoD agency . Any changes to the original contract agreement made between the DoD and the award recipient may result in a longer duration of required employment . Multi - year recipients are also required to complete internships during the summers at their sponsoring facility at no additional compensation . In the event that a recipient chooses to leave the program or fails to meet the program requirements , the recipient will be required to pay back in full all moneys that have been paid on their behalf to the DoD . At $ 25000 - $ 38000 per year , plus orientation expenses , plus book and health insurance allowances , plus all tuition and fees , this amount can be very high . This payback amount is prorated depending on how long the recipient decides to stay in their post - graduation employment . As an example , if you are required to work for the government for two years and only complete one and want to leave the job at that time , you will be required to pay back approximately half of what was given to you during your Phase 1 educational time . Applicants are encouraged to soberly consider this scholarship for service contract prior to accepting . Applicants are also highly encouraged to speak with their sponsoring facility ( the ones that are offering you the job ) to determine what the recipient ' s job duties will be after they graduate . This is necessary to fully understand what role you will be required to serve once the Phase 1 Educational Requirements are satisfied . History . Since SMART was officially established in 2006 , the program has grown each year . Below are the combined numbers of students awarded scholarships as well as the funding history .