2012 Applicants

[father_time]

I think this week is a genuine possibility. [....] I wouldn't stake anything on this being the week, but at least there's signs of movement.

If I had a nickel for every time someone on here deemed the current week "the week," I would have exactly nine nickels.

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[me123]

Maybe it's taking extra time because they are working out a way where everyone who applied gets accepted!

[Go_Navy]

Maybe it's taking extra time because they are working out a way where everyone who applied gets accepted!

I Like the way you think!!

[smar_hopeful]

I was doing some Googling around just to see if I could find any signal in the noise, and I came across a PowerPoint from last year. It doesn't really say much that's useful in our situation, but I couldn't help but notice that the orientation the SMART website mentions is in fact a five day(!) shindig in DC.

Now I can't imagine that round-trip plane tickets, housing, and food for 300 participants for five days is cheap. That's not to mention the cost of showing off the "significant assets from all services", and presumably the expenses of the ASEE/DoD employees involved. The total cost is what, probably a half-million? Maybe more?

I remember some speculation earlier in the thread that there wouldn't be an orientation this year - at least not one that dramatic. Given the fact that previous orientations were such baroque extravaganzas, maybe the saved money can actually rescue a nontrivial number of scholarships.

[bulldog]

maybe the saved money can actually rescue a nontrivial number of scholarships.

In this case, I don't think it's a "one or the other" type of thing, more of a "cut wherever you can" kind of thing, such that the amount of money for scholarships will be decreased (whether that means fewer overall scholarships or the funding will be directed towards short-term students rather than those who will require multiple years of funding, who knows) AND the orientation will be scaled back.

[Guest]

I was doing some Googling around just to see if I could find any signal in the noise, and I came across a PowerPoint from last year. It doesn't really say much that's useful in our situation, but I couldn't help but notice that the orientation the SMART website mentions is in fact a five day(!) shindig in DC.

Now I can't imagine that round-trip plane tickets, housing, and food for 300 participants for five days is cheap. That's not to mention the cost of showing off the "significant assets from all services", and presumably the expenses of the ASEE/DoD employees involved. The total cost is what, probably a half-million? Maybe more?

I remember some speculation earlier in the thread that there wouldn't be an orientation this year - at least not one that dramatic. Given the fact that previous orientations were such baroque extravaganzas, maybe the saved money can actually rescue a nontrivial number of scholarships.

Don't consider the SMART orientation as anything similar to a GSA conference. When I had my orientation, the 5 days included 2 travel days, and 3 days of cramming information down as fast as I could. You sit in an auditorium for 10 hours a day (about 2 hours of that is breaks, lunch, shuffling room to room) and listen to talks about working for the DoD, what's expected of you, what you can expect of SMART, what you can expect of your SF, who is your SF, where do they fit within the mission of the DoD. It wasn't a vacation, and I had about half an hour each day to see the city (mine was in Monterrey).

I felt overwhelmed by the time I finished orientation. They might be able to squeeze it down and condense it, but don't think that this was a bunch of "team-building" exercises complete with fine dining (the food they fed you was so-so). It is definitely a crash-course in the SMART scholarship and the goal is you know the handbook by the end of orientation. The handbook is a lengthy document.

[smart_hopeful]

Well, it's heartening to know they're being good stewards of taxpayer money. But from a purely selfish perspective it's too bad cutting the orientation isn't an easy way to come up with extra program cash. In any case it doesn't help with the post-graduation employment problem.

Hope everyone had a good Day 58.

[2010 recip]

I was doing some Googling around just to see if I could find any signal in the noise, and I came across a PowerPoint from last year. It doesn't really say much that's useful in our situation, but I couldn't help but notice that the orientation the SMART website mentions is in fact a five day(!) shindig in DC.

Now I can't imagine that round-trip plane tickets, housing, and food for 300 participants for five days is cheap. That's not to mention the cost of showing off the "significant assets from all services", and presumably the expenses of the ASEE/DoD employees involved. The total cost is what, probably a half-million? Maybe more?

I remember some speculation earlier in the thread that there wouldn't be an orientation this year - at least not one that dramatic. Given the fact that previous orientations were such baroque extravaganzas, maybe the saved money can actually rescue a nontrivial number of scholarships.

In 2010 they told us how much the orientation in Monterey cost. Someone else can correct me but I believe it was on the order of 3 million...not 500k.

[ESCzr]

In 2010 they told us how much the orientation in Monterey cost. Someone else can correct me but I believe it was on the order of 3 million...not 500k.

I would bet this is why they moved it to DC last year. Monterey = tiny resort-ish town with a tiny airport = expensive to fly into, expensive hotels, expensive food. Not saying DC is the cheapest place ever, but i would expect it is significantly cheaper.

[gatsby]

In 2010 they told us how much the orientation in Monterey cost. Someone else can correct me but I believe it was on the order of 3 million...not 500k.

I would bet this is why they moved it to DC last year. Monterey = tiny resort-ish town with a tiny airport = expensive to fly into, expensive hotels, expensive food. Not saying DC is the cheapest place ever, but i would expect it is significantly cheaper.

I think the change in orientation location probably has more to do with the relocation of the Smart Program Office from Monterey to DC.

[Guest]

In 2010 they told us how much the orientation in Monterey cost. Someone else can correct me but I believe it was on the order of 3 million...not 500k.

I would bet this is why they moved it to DC last year. Monterey = tiny resort-ish town with a tiny airport = expensive to fly into, expensive hotels, expensive food. Not saying DC is the cheapest place ever, but i would expect it is significantly cheaper.

I think the change in orientation location probably has more to do with the relocation of the Smart Program Office from Monterey to DC.

Current recipient, and I've heard that the change was due to SMART realizing that the program is successful when they are "advertising" themselves to congressional representatives (funding stays put). Having their yearly orientation near congressional offices gives them visibility and an enhanced chances at remaining funded.

Plus, I'd guess it's cheaper for flights, though the convention centers are probably pricier. I think the price might be six vs half a dozen when compared to Monterrey, though I haven't seen numbers (or care to find them for that matter).

[gatsby]

OK, so, I've done a little research. I'm assuming that candidates selected this cycle will be funded under FY13, because if we were funded under FY12 there wouldn't be a budget issue and we would have been notified by now. Also, FY13 starts in September, which coincides with the Fall school-year start.

The NDEP budget (http://www.dtic.mil/descriptivesum/Y201 ... B_2013.pdf) shows that SMART has seen the following funding changes (all numbers listed in millions):
FY11 - 48.789
FY12 - 45.271
FY13 - 46.867

Out of the reduced FY12 funding, 290 participants were selected. The NDEP budget shows a total FY13 budget request of 87.979... which is up from the FY12 budget of 83.577.

H.R. 4310 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013" (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:H.R.4310:) includes the budget for NDEP. The text of the bill confirms the NDEP FY13 request of 87.979 - it also authorizes the same amount, 87.979.

The White House issued a statement on May 15, 2012 with a number of concerns that would prompt the President to veto the bill. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default ... 120515.pdf)

On May 17 and 18 a number of amendments were made to address these concerns. Bill H.R. 4310 then passed the House on May 18, 2012.

A similar bill was introduced in the Senate on April 26 - S.2467 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013" (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D ... BSS;c=112|). The Senate bill has not progressed beyond committees.

H.R. 4310 can be tracked here http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr4310. I speculate that award announcements will not be made until the bill is signed by the President. The good news is that the bill approves exactly the amount of funding requested by NDEP and the normal amount of awards were given last year with a smaller budget than this year's. I realize that none of this agrees with the rumors we've seen posted from the SFs about drastic cuts... but none of those rumors have provided reliable documentation either.

For comparisson, last year's bill became public law a full three months before award announcements were made: FY H.R.1540 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012" http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D ... BSS;c=112|

4/14/2011 Introduced in House
5/17/2011 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Armed Services. H. Rept. 112-78.
5/23/2011 Supplemental report filed by the Committee on Armed Services, H. Rept. 112-78, Part II.
5/26/2011 Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 322 - 96 (Roll no. 375).
12/1/2011 Senate Committee on Armed Services discharged by Unanimous Consent.
12/1/2011 Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
12/12/2011 Conference report H. Rept. 112-329 filed. Filed late, pursuant to previous special order.
12/14/2011 Conference report agreed to in House: On agreeing to the conference report Agreed to by recorded vote: 283 - 136 (Roll no. 932).
12/15/2011 Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Yea-Nay Vote. 86 - 13. Record Vote Number: 230.
12/21/2011 Presented to President.
12/31/2011 Signed by President.
12/31/2011 Became Public Law No: 112-081

[smart_hopeful]

OK, so, I've done a little research. I'm assuming that candidates selected this cycle will be funded under FY13, because if we were funded under FY12 there wouldn't be a budget issue and we would have been notified by now. Also, FY13 starts in September, which coincides with the Fall school-year start.
...
The NDEP budget shows a total FY13 budget request of 87.979... which is up from the FY12 budget of 83.577.

Well done, it's always good to see hard numbers. However, I think the situation is considerably worse than this implies. If you look at the equivalent budget document for last year, FY12 funding was supposed to be $102 million. If you look at the equivalent budget document for two years ago, FY12 funding was supposed to be $125 million.

So while funding is up from last year, it's a about 30% short of where it was originally expected to be.

[gatsby]

For comparisson, last year's bill became public law a full three months before award announcements were made: FY H.R.1540 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012" http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D ... BSS;c=112|

4/14/2011 Introduced in House
5/17/2011 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Armed Services. H. Rept. 112-78.
5/23/2011 Supplemental report filed by the Committee on Armed Services, H. Rept. 112-78, Part II.
5/26/2011 Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 322 - 96 (Roll no. 375).
12/1/2011 Senate Committee on Armed Services discharged by Unanimous Consent.
12/1/2011 Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
12/12/2011 Conference report H. Rept. 112-329 filed. Filed late, pursuant to previous special order.
12/14/2011 Conference report agreed to in House: On agreeing to the conference report Agreed to by recorded vote: 283 - 136 (Roll no. 932).
12/15/2011 Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Yea-Nay Vote. 86 - 13. Record Vote Number: 230.
12/21/2011 Presented to President.
12/31/2011 Signed by President.
12/31/2011 Became Public Law No: 112-081

I realized the comparisson doesn't make sense. The 2012 bill was STARTED at about the same time that last year's award announcements were sent out...

SO, all that stuff about H.R. 4310 applies to next year's applicants - not us. That also means our budget is actually the FY12 slightly reduced budget. But what I don't get, is why then is there a delay???

[Aaarrghh]

OK, so, I've done a little research. I'm assuming that candidates selected this cycle will be funded under FY13, because if we were funded under FY12 there wouldn't be a budget issue and we would have been notified by now. Also, FY13 starts in September, which coincides with the Fall school-year start.

This isn't really accurate in my experience. FY13 doesn't start until October 1st (so they can't be paying 2012 applicants with that money in September), and in reality many government agencies don't get their funding until well into the fiscal year (we had projects this year that didn't get their funding from various government agencies until March or so). This means that SMART very well could have been in a similar boat, and if they got the money later than anticipated AND it was less than they were led to believe it might be, it could have really thrown a wrench in their plans. Agencies typically plan for this lag in delivery of funds, but this year it was a bit ridiculous at least in part due to all the congressional planning issues. So I think it's pretty safe to say that FY12 funds will be obligated for our stipends, it really is just a matter of how much of the funding goes to us, and how much goes to their overhead/other programs.

[justwondering]

Has anyone emailed the board recently?

[bulldog]

Has anyone emailed the board recently?

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm chicken. I don't want to poke the sleeping bear, as it were.

[meimarrissa]

So I am pretty sure that we all are just losing our minds and grasping at straws now to make this loooonnnngggg wait make sense to us.. I have resorted to believing that someone somewhere is on vacation and we just have to wait for him/her to return to sign something! So I hope this person enjoys their vacation and comes back in a great mood so they can accept us all! No conspiracy theories here!

[SA SMART]

I was told that the buget for 2012 SMART Scholars was cut by 85%, meaning they can only fund about 45 scholars this year as opposed to 300 in the past. I have it on good authority (from a 2-star equivalent) that this is the case. And I believe it is 2012 funds, not 2013.

[bulldog]

I was told that the buget for 2012 SMART Scholars was cut by 85%, meaning they can only fund about 45 scholars this year as opposed to 300 in the past. I have it on good authority (from a 2-star equivalent) that this is the case. And I believe it is 2012 funds, not 2013.

Now that's just a depressing idea.

[gatsby]

I was told that the buget for 2012 SMART Scholars was cut by 85%, meaning they can only fund about 45 scholars this year as opposed to 300 in the past. I have it on good authority (from a 2-star equivalent) that this is the case. And I believe it is 2012 funds, not 2013.

I think we're all agreed that is has to be 2012 funds.

The published SMART budget has not been cut by 85%: FY11 - 48.789 to FY12 - 45.271 = 7.21% reduction.

If they are planning as though it had been cut by 85%, it begs the question of what did they spend all their millions of dollars on? Congress has appropriated those funds and the NDEP FY13 budget confirms those funding amounts for FY11 and FY12.

[smart_hopeful]

If they are planning as though it had been cut by 85%, it begs the question of what did they spend all their millions of dollars on?

Here's a depressing thought I hope is not true: what if in fact each year's budget wasn't set aside in a box for that year's cohort? What if the budget for a given year simply funds everybody with an active scholarship that year?

If so, the bulk of the budget might have to go to previous year's scholars. Unfortunately this rather grim scenario does fit the summer stipend fiasco data pretty well.

[Guest]

I was told that the buget for 2012 SMART Scholars was cut by 85%, meaning they can only fund about 45 scholars this year as opposed to 300 in the past. I have it on good authority (from a 2-star equivalent) that this is the case. And I believe it is 2012 funds, not 2013.

Your 2-star is incorrect. If you get the SMART scholarship, you will soon realize that uniformed military is FAR removed from the process of SMART. Basically, your 2-star authority should be taken with the same amount of salt you take this forum.

The funding has not been cut as drastic as that. There will be many more than 45 scholarships awarded.

[guest118]

Has anyone else run into timing problems (deadlines) with outside scholarship acceptance or university scholarship timeline? How did you handle it? Also, at what point do you accept what you have and move on?...bird in the hand!

[Spartanwatisurprofes]

Has anyone else run into timing problems (deadlines) with outside scholarship acceptance or university scholarship timeline? How did you handle it? Also, at what point do you accept what you have and move on?...bird in the hand!

Never give up. Never surrender, this is spartan law lulz