Science and Math Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant

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The Science and Math Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant was introduced by Senator Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, and approved by the Senate on 21 December 2005. This is a new program to provide financial assistance to low-income students who are majoring in mathematics, science, technology, engineering and foreign languages that are deemed critical to national security. (Example majors are Chemistry - Medical Sciences, Biology - Medical Sciences.) To be eligible for the SMART Grant, students must qualify for a Pell Grant and choose a major. Students must maintain at least 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale).

The maximum award for the 2006-2007 academic year is $4,000, and can be awarded for only two years totalling $8,000.

In August 2006, The Chronicle of Higher Education noted that evolutionary biology had been removed from the list of qualifying majors.^[1] This caused concern among some scientists and educators, who feared that the omission was deliberate and politically motivated. The Department of Education has denied this, stating that the major was removed from the list inadvertently, and that it would correct the omission.^[2]

In September 2006, Evolutionary Biology, along with Exercise Physiology, were added to the list of eligible majors.

[edit] External links

• SMART on the web

[edit] References

1. ^ Kean, Sam. "Educators Question Absence of Evolution From List of Majors Eligible for New Grants", The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2006-08-22. Retrieved on August 24, 2006.
2. ^ Dean, Cornelia. "Evolution Major Vanishes From Approved Federal List", The New York Times, 2006-08-24. Retrieved on August 24, 2006.