Step One: Review Criteria & Guidelines

Criteria

To qualify for the Smart START program, you will need:

1. Bachelor's Degree in any field from an accredited college or university
2. Act 34, Act 151, and Act 114 Clearances (Criminal History/Child Abuse/FBI Fingerprinting)
   Click the following link to expedite clearances within 24 hours 
3. Applicants must register with Cogent Systems prior to going to the fingerprint site www.pa.cogentid.com 
4. Completed Application Form 
5. Supporting Documents for Application: General Letter of Interest, References, Resume, Clearance Forms, and College Transcripts.
6. Successful completion of an orientation program, interview, and two and a half days of training through the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.

Browser Requirements

When filling out or updating the online application make sure that you are using only the recommended internet browsers. Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator 4.0+ must be used (AOL and Compuserve users must use one of these browsers to fill out the application.)

E-Mail Address

You will need a current e-mail address to apply for Smart START. Free e-mail accounts are available on the Internet at several sites, including: http://www.hotmail.com, http://www.yahoo.com, http://www.snap.com.

The Allegheny Intermediate Unit will be providing information regarding application status via e-mail. If your e-mail address should change, please update your record.

Passwords

Please make a note of your password. If you forget it, however, you may use the password fetch tool. To make updates after submitting your application, use the "View and Update Application Page".