South Dakota is the Mount Rushmore State as well as the Coyote State. It is also a state that is very supportive of post-secondary education for its residents. Please note that in South Dakota all grant and scholarship programs are referred to as scholarships. Let us take a closer look at public education grants and in South Dakota .
It is the South Dakota Board of Regents that is responsible for supplying funding to all of the state’s colleges and universities, as well as technical institutions and other specialized schools. There is a great concern in the Coyote State of losing talented and educated residents to other states. South Dakota is a rural state and knows this loss well. As a direct result of this the Governor of South Dakota recently established the Dakota Corps Scholarship Program. This program offers attractive incentives to students in the state who may be contemplating leaving the state to obtain their higher education. Those who choose to remain in the state to go to school who are pursuing a “critical need occupation” may be eligible for scholarships that pay all or part of their tuition costs.
Applicants must have a GPA of 2.8 as well as competitive ACT scores. The scholarship will not be awarded until the individual agrees to stay in South Dakota following graduation to work in the “critical need occupation” that he or she was trained in. These occupations include health care professionals and educators, to name only two. Please note that a one year tuition scholarship is equal to one year of employment in the state.
South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship
The South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship is awarded to eligible students through the Department of Education. The maximum amount awarded to students annually is $5,000. Eligible individuals are those that have participated in a Regents Scholars curriculum at the high schools they attended. Students must have high ACT scores, as well as a competitive GPA and have plans to earn a degree from an in-state college or university.
Ardell Bjugstad Memorial Scholarship
If you are a Native American student living in South Dakota and you plan to study agriculture then you may wish to apply for the Ardell Bjugstad Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is administered through the Board of Regents and the money is awarded to students who are studying in an agricultural or natural resources management program at a state college or university.
This scholarship was established by the family of a man named Ardell Bjugstad of Rapid City who passed away in 1990. Ardell Bjugstad was a range scientist who was employed with the United States Forest Service for a span of 20 years. He was also an adjunct professor at the South Dakota State University as well as at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and Oglala Lakota College. Bjugstad was a strong advocate for young American Indians who were doing what they could to gain an education. He mentored Native American students who wished to find employment in the United States Forest Service.
This scholarship is worth $500 and is distributed to the post-secondary institutions in the state. The educational institutions then provide the funds to students who qualify for them. The money is given out in two separate installments. The first installment of $250 is given out for the fall semester and the other $250 is made available in the spring semester. As previously mentioned, Native American students who apply must be pursuing a degree program in agricultural studies, agribusiness, agricultural production or natural resources.
Scott Mecham BBB Student of Integrity Awards
The Scott Mecham BBB Student of Integrity Awards program is sponsored by the Better Business Bureau. This program serves not just the state of South Dakota but also Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Three students in each geographic area that are served by the Better Business Bureau are awarded scholarships worth $2,000 on an annual basis. These BBB scholarships were created to honor the memory of Scott Mecham who was the president of the Better Business Bureau from the year 1991 until January of 2006. All those who are currently juniors or seniors in high school are eligible to apply for this award.
The BBB awards are given to those students who personify the integrity, leadership and values that were shown by Mr. Mecham. The application guide, application form and nomination form for can be found at the BBB website for your state. Once there click on the section marked “Integrity Awards/ Student Scholarship Programs- Learn More.”
