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The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant is a federally funded grant program that qualified students may receive for no more than two years.  The maximum SMART Grant is $4,000 per academic year ($2,000 per semester at SDSU).

Qualifications for The National SMART Grant

To qualify, the student must meet all of the following conditions –

• Be a Federal Pell Grant recipient
• Be enrolled full time (12 units)
• Be a U. S. citizen
• Be a third or fourth year undergraduate (junior or senior – see clarification that follows)
• Must have earned a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0 or greater prior to the beginning of each semester
• Have declared and be enrolled in at least one required class of an eligible major (see table that follows)
• Meet standard eligibility criteria for all Federal Title IV financial aid, such as not being in default on a student loan, having financial need, and maintaining satisfactory academic progress.

To qualify for the third year SMART Grant

The student must be a junior (i.e., earned no fewer than 60 units and no more than 89 units toward their undergraduate degree objective).

To qualify for the fourth year SMART Grant

The student must be a senior with less than 120 units (i.e., earned no fewer than 90 units and no more than 119 units toward their undergraduate degree objective).

Eligible Majors for SMART Grant

At San Diego State University, the following majors have been identified as eligible for SMART Grant consideration:

How to Apply for the National SMART Grant

To apply, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the first step in the financial aid application process.

Determining Students' Eligibility for the SMART Grant

The university will identify students enrolled in eligible majors, confirm that the students meet all of the other eligibility criteria, and notify students of their awards. 

• The SDSU OFAS will utilize information provided by the Office of the Registrar to determine if a student aid applicant meets the academic requirements for either a third year or fourth year SMART Grant.
• This will happen automatically.  Students do not need to take any action.

Awarding of SMART Grant

We do not expect to make awards or notify eligible students until after the university's census date each semester.  SMART Grant-eligible students who have already received their financial aid will have their aid packages adjusted to reflect their eligibility for this new federal grant. 

The law states that the SMART Grant in combination with the student’s Expected Family Contribution, financial aid, and other resources cannot exceed the student’s cost of attendance.  Therefore, in some cases, the SMART Grant will replace other financial aid, especially student and parent loan eligibility.   Students will be notified of the new award and any adjustment to other aid by e-mail and an AidLink Alert.

If sufficient funds are not available for all eligible students within a given year, the U. S. Department of Education (USDE) may ratably reduce award amounts nationwide.

For additional information about the National SMART Grant, go to the U. S. Department of Eduation Web site.