Dakota Corps Scholarship Program

Scholarship Sponsored by South Dakota Board of Regents

The Dakota Corps Scholarship is a financial aid program supported by private enterprises, non-profit organizations, and the Governor's Office. The program was initiated to motivate high school graduates from South Dakota to:

1. Pursue their higher education within South Dakota
2. Stay in the state after completing their education, and
3. Work in a high-demand occupation, thereby contributing to the state and its residents.

Application Process and Deadline

The Dakota Corps Scholarship Board conducts an annual review of the scholarship application. After their review, the application is made available on the SD Board of Regents Scholarship Portal for students to fill out. The application period typically begins at the end of October and ends on December 15.

Award Eligibility

• Applicants must be graduates from an accredited South Dakota high school with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.8 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Home-schooled students can provide additional information if this requirement is not applicable to them.
• Applicants must have a composite ACT score of 27 or higher (or the equivalent SAT score).
• Applicants must commit, in writing, to remain in South Dakota and work in a high-demand occupation for a duration equal to the number of years they received the scholarship, plus one additional year.
• Applicants must apply for the Dakota Corps Scholarship within one year of graduating high school or within one year of being discharged from active duty in the armed forces.
• Applicants must enroll in a participating South Dakota college as an undergraduate student in a program that prepares them for a high-demand occupation.
• Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.

Scholarship Award

The program aims to cover the recipients' tuition and generally applicable fees. The scholarship amount is approximately equal to:

• The maximum tuition and generally applicable fees for 16 undergraduate credit hours (per fall and spring semester) at a South Dakota Board of Regents-controlled institution for recipients attending a public four-year college, or
• The equivalent amount for a public four-year college if the student is attending a private non-profit college. The remaining tuition and generally applicable fees for 16 credits must be covered by the participating non-profit college through an institutional scholarship or tuition waiver.
• An individually determined amount for technical college recipients that will not exceed the maximum tuition and generally applicable fees for sixteen (16) undergraduate credit hours per semester at a public college.
• The maximum tuition and generally applicable fees for a full-time undergraduate student at a tribal college if the recipient is attending a tribal college.

Note: Not all eligible applicants will receive a scholarship. A limited number of recipients will be selected from the total pool of applicants. Some South Dakota colleges may limit the number of scholarship recipients they accept, or may not participate at all. All applicants will be informed of the Board's decision.

The Dakota Corps Pledge

Each recipient commits, in writing, to work in a high-demand occupation in South Dakota after completing their studies. The total obligation period is equal to the number of years the scholarship was received, plus one additional year. For instance, a four-year scholarship recipient must work for five years; a three-year scholarship recipient must work for four years; a two-year scholarship recipient must work for three years, and so on.

If the recipient fails to fulfill this commitment, the scholarship is converted into a low-interest loan that must be repaid.

High-Demand Occupations

• Teaching -- K-12
• Teaching -- Secondary
• Special Education
• Math
• Foreign Language
• Science
• Vocal or Instrumental Music
• Language Arts
• English as a Second Language (ESL) or English Language Learners (ELL)
• Career and Technical Education
• Accountant / Auditor
• Engineer: (all areas EXCEPT: mining, chemical, biomedical, and computer hardware)
• Information Technology
• Registered Nurse