Scholarships
South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship - Deadline September 1 for the fall semester
Students can receive up to $6,500 over the course of their postsecondary career if they meet each of the following initial eligibility requirements:
- Resident of SD at time of high school graduation.
- ACT composite score of 24 or higher or an equivalent score as determined by the Board of Regents on the SAT.
- Complete required coursework in areas of English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Fine Arts, and other areas depending on graduation date. Students are encouraged to review additional information specific to their coursework requirements at https://sdos.sdbor.edu/require/require.html.
- Complete course requirements listed above with no final grade below a "C" (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) and an unweighted cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (grade of "B").
- Effective for those students entering into postsecondary education for the first time on or after July 1, 2013, the curriculum requirements specified in subdivision (5) are not required for any student who has received a composite score on the ACT of at least 28 and meets the ACT college readiness benchmark scores equaling or exceeding 18 for English, 22 for Reading, 22 for Math, and 23 for Science.
Dakota Corps Scholarship Program - Deadline February 1
For high school and college students in South Dakota that provides full tuition and generally-applicable fees to selected qualified applicants in critical need occupations for the 2017-2018 academic year included:
- Teaching K-12 foreign language in a public, private or parochial school (Reinstated May 2015)
- Teaching K-12 special education in a public, private or parochial school
- Teaching high school math or science in a public, private or parochial school
- Teaching high school career and technical education in a public, private or parochial school
- Working as a Registered Nurse
- Working as an Accountant/Auditor
- Working as an Engineer (includes all fields EXCEPT mining)
- Working in Information Technology
The critical needs occupations for 2018-2019 will be available in mid-December 2017 on the Dakota Corps Scholarship website at http://www.sdbor.edu/dakotacorps/welcome/aspx
Jump Start Scholarship - Deadline September 1
As a result of the student's early graduation, if the student enrolls at any accredited postsecondary institution in SD the student will be eligible for $1,500 for the first year of college. To be eligible for the Jump Start Scholarship Program, a student shall:
- Be a resident of SD;
- Complete the requirements of the recommended high school program as established by the Board of Edcuation pursuant to 13-1-12.1, and awarded a high school diploma by a public high school in three years or less;
- Have attended a public high school in SD on a full-time basis for at least two semesters prior to graduating; and
- Within one year of graduating from high school, enroll in a participating postsecondary institution located in SD.
Black Hills State University Buzz Bonus Scholarship
Awarded upon admission to incoming freshmen who are
1) in the top 1/3 of their graduating class; and
2) have a minimum composite ACT of 21
Scholarship amounts vary depending on the students ACT score with annual awards of
$500 - 21 to 24
Students can receive up to $6,500 over the course of their postsecondary career if they meet each of the following initial eligibility requirements:
- Resident of SD at time of high school graduation.
- ACT composite score of 24 or higher or an equivalent score as determined by the Board of Regents on the SAT.
- Complete required coursework in areas of English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Fine Arts, and other areas depending on graduation date. Students are encouraged to review additional information specific to their coursework requirements at https://sdos.sdbor.edu/require/require.html.
- Complete course requirements listed above with no final grade below a "C" (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) and an unweighted cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (grade of "B").
- Effective for those students entering into postsecondary education for the first time on or after July 1, 2013, the curriculum requirements specified in subdivision (5) are not required for any student who has received a composite score on the ACT of at least 28 and meets the ACT college readiness benchmark scores equaling or exceeding 18 for English, 22 for Reading, 22 for Math, and 23 for Science.
Dakota Corps Scholarship Program - Deadline February 1
For high school and college students in South Dakota that provides full tuition and generally-applicable fees to selected qualified applicants in critical need occupations for the 2017-2018 academic year included:
- Teaching K-12 foreign language in a public, private or parochial school (Reinstated May 2015)
- Teaching K-12 special education in a public, private or parochial school
- Teaching high school math or science in a public, private or parochial school
- Teaching high school career and technical education in a public, private or parochial school
- Working as a Registered Nurse
- Working as an Accountant/Auditor
- Working as an Engineer (includes all fields EXCEPT mining)
- Working in Information Technology
The critical needs occupations for 2018-2019 will be available in mid-December 2017 on the Dakota Corps Scholarship website at http://www.sdbor.edu/dakotacorps/welcome/aspx
Jump Start Scholarship - Deadline September 1
As a result of the student's early graduation, if the student enrolls at any accredited postsecondary institution in SD the student will be eligible for $1,500 for the first year of college. To be eligible for the Jump Start Scholarship Program, a student shall:
- Be a resident of SD;
- Complete the requirements of the recommended high school program as established by the Board of Edcuation pursuant to 13-1-12.1, and awarded a high school diploma by a public high school in three years or less;
- Have attended a public high school in SD on a full-time basis for at least two semesters prior to graduating; and
- Within one year of graduating from high school, enroll in a participating postsecondary institution located in SD.
Black Hills State University Buzz Bonus Scholarship
Awarded upon admission to incoming freshmen who are
1) in the top 1/3 of their graduating class; and
2) have a minimum composite ACT of 21
Scholarship amounts vary depending on the students ACT score with annual awards of
$500 - 21 to 24