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Qualified Applicants Must
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Graduate from an accredited South Dakota high school with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.8 or greater on a 4.0 scale. Home schooled students will be allowed to provide supplemental information if this requirement is not applicable.
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Have a composite ACT score of 27 or greater (or the SAT equivalent).
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Agree, in writing, to stay in South Dakota and work in a critical need occupation after graduation for as many years as the scholarship was received, plus one year. Approved Critical Need Occupations
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Apply for the Dakota Corps Scholarship for a school period that begins within one year of high school graduation, or within one year of release from active duty of an active component of the armed forces.
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Attend a participating South Dakota college as an undergraduate student in a program that will prepare the student to work in a critical need occupation.
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Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
Among those that qualify, recipients will be chosen based on GPA, test scores, activities, honors, and community service. Not all eligible applicants will be selected for a scholarship. From the total pool of applicants, a limited number of recipients will be selected. Also, some South Dakota colleges may limit the number of scholarship recipients they accept, or not participate at all.
Maintaining Your Scholarship
The scholarships are renewable if the recipient:
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Maintains a 2.8 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
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Is considered a full-time student as defined by the participating college.
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Makes satisfactory academic progress toward a degree.
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Is certified as accepted into the specific program by the start of his/her junior year (if in a four-year program) or is enrolled in an LPN program or other allied health care field.
The scholarship is renewable for up to the number of years required to complete the program, as defined by the college (i.e., one year, two years, three years, or four years), except that programs longer than four years are limited to four years. The recipient will not receive any additional funding for any years he or she takes beyond the required number. Scholarships are not provided for summer sessions at traditional four-year colleges.
If a student’s GPA falls below 2.8, they will lose eligibility until their GPA is back at or above 2.8. However, a student may only have one “break” in eligibility. If their GPA drops below 2.8 a second time, they will no longer qualify for the scholarship.
For example: A student is eligible in Fall 2024 but falls below a 2.8 GPA in Spring 2025 — this is their first break. If they return to a 2.8 GPA in Fall 2025, they regain eligibility. But if their GPA falls below 2.8 again in Spring 2026, this counts as a second break, and they are no longer eligible for the scholarship.
A student must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress toward completing their degree. If the campus cannot verify satisfactory academic progress, the student will become ineligible until they can show they are back on track either through credits earned over the summer or through enrollment in sufficient credits during the fall or spring semester.
Students in their final semester may enroll in fewer than the required full-time credit hours if they are graduating.
For additional information not found, Contact Us.