During the 2011 Session, the Legislature approved the creation of the Jump Start Scholarship program which is designed to provide a student who graduates from a public high school in three years or less to receive a scholarship funded with a portion of the money saved by the state in state aid to education funding pursuant to chapter 13-13. As a result of the student's early graduation, if the student enrolls at any college, university, or technical school accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools that provides instruction from a campus located in South Dakota, for the 2019-20 academic year the student will be eligible for $1,500 to be distributed equally across both the Fall and Spring semesters during their first year of post-secondary enrollment. No student who enrolls in a high school for all or any part of a fourth year is eligible for the Jump Start Scholarship program. To be eligible for the Jump Start Scholarship program, a student shall:
- Be a resident of South Dakota;
- Complete the requirements of the recommended high school program as established by the Board of Education pursuant to ยง13-1-12.1, and be awarded a high school diploma by a public high school in three years or less;
- Have attended a public high school in South Dakota on a full-time basis for at least two semesters prior to graduating; and
- Within one year of graduating from high school, excluding any time served on active duty in the armed forces of the United States, enroll in a college, university, or technical school accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools that provides instruction from a campus located in South Dakota
Eligible students can apply using the SD Board of Regents Scholarship Portal