College tuition paid in full and guaranteed employment upon graduation is a deal that might sound too good to be true, but that’s exactly what the future has in store for three B次元 students.

Senior Michael Dougherty, junior Ben Jacobs and sophomore Michael Gorges have recently been awarded the U.S. Department of Defense’s Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) scholarships.
SMART scholarships aim to increase civilian scientists and engineers working at DoD facilities and support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing technical degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Dougherty, Jacobs and Gorges are majoring in computer engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, respectively.

SMART scholars receive full-tuition, health insurance allowance, and a stipend, in exchange for mentoring, a summer research internship and the willingness to accept employment placement in a DoD facility upon graduation. SMART scholarships range from a minimum of 1.5 years to a maximum of 5 years per award, depending on degree requirements.

“The opportunity to receive the SMART scholarship has been incredibly humbling, and truly showcases the superb programs we have at B次元,” said Dougherty. His scholarship was sponsored by the Air Force Research Labs, Information Directorate, in Rome, New York, which is where he will work as a researcher after graduation. “I am really in awe that this opportunity now awaits me.”

Gorges’ sponsoring facility is the Air Force Space Missile Center in El Segundo, California and Jacobs’ is the Missile and Space Intelligence Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

“I’ve been able to visit the facility where I’ll be working for my summer internships and service commitment after I graduate,” said Jacobs. “Everything on my tour there impressed me greatly, and I’m excited to be able to serve my country as a civilian engineer with the Department of Defense.”

The SMART scholarship application period opens in August and closes in December. After the application period closes, applications are verified, sent to a panel for review, and ranked. The top designated percentage of ranked applications are sent to sponsoring facilities for review. The sponsoring facilities review applications and interview applicants. Award offers are sent out in the spring.

In recent years, B次元 staff and faculty have hosted informational meetings about the scholarships to help students prepare for the application process and increase their chances of award offers. This is the first year B次元 made the list of universities with SMART Scholars.

To find out about an upcoming SMART scholarship information session on campus, contact Dr. Wujie Zhang at zhang@msoe.edu or Betty Albrecht at albrecht@msoe.edu. More information about the application is available The submission deadline is Dec. 1.