US Bowling Congress: SMART program to allocate additional $1 million for Pell Grant Match

The United States Bowling Congress Scholarship Management and Account Reporting for Tenpins (SMART) program is making an additional investment earnings allocation of up to $1 million in 2023 to provide scholarship opportunities for young bowlers in support of the SMART Pell Grant Match.

In February, SMART announced $1.2 million in funding for the SMART Pell Grant Match in 2023 as part of an overall allocation of $7 million for the year, and the interest in the program has exhausted the initial amount.

The SMART Oversight Committee approved additional funding of up to $1 million so qualified applicants can still take advantage of the program through the remainder of 2023.

In 2022, SMART also started with $1.2 million in funding for the program before making an additional allocation of $750,000, allowing the program to provide nearly $2 million in grants.

“We are thrilled to once again be able to add additional funding to the SMART Pell Grant Match,” said Frank Wilkinson, chair of the USBC SMART Committee. “This program has been a great resource for young bowlers across the country, and we’re excited to see the interest continue to grow.”

The federal Pell Grant is a national program that helps students and families with the greatest financial need pay for college. The SMART Pell Grant Match maximizes the power of this federal program for bowlers by matching it dollar for dollar. The SMART Pell Grant Match is available to any student with at least one season of USBC Youth participation and two seasons overall of USBC membership.

Students can request the SMART Pell Grant Match and review an FAQ for the program by visiting BOWL.com/SMART. Applications will be accepted through the end of the year or until funding is exhausted.

The overall allocation of $7 million in 2023 also included $3.7 million in bonus scholarships for active SMART Recipients (used funds in 2022). Each eligible student-athlete already has received a $715 SMART scholarship for 2023, and Recipients are encouraged to check their accounts to make sure they access the bonus scholarship.

For more information on SMART, visit BOWL.com/SMART.