January 5, 2023

Students who seek out scholarship information early are giving themselves an important advantage when seeking funding for college.

By gathering the information needed ahead of time, students are able to better prepare for the applications. Those students can make sure they understand the requirements, gather all the necessary documents, and know the application deadline well ahead of time.

South Dakota students should determine their eligibility for the following scholarships and make note of the respective deadlines:

• Build Dakota Scholarship – Deadline is March 31, 2023.
• Critical Teaching Needs Scholarship – Deadline is March 15, 2023.
• Dakota Corp Scholarship – Deadline was December 15, 2022, for 2023-24 college freshmen.
• Freedom Scholarship – Students should file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the college’s priority deadline. If awarded the scholarship, students will need to complete additional forms with specific deadlines.
• Jump Start Scholarship – Deadline is September 1.
• South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship – Deadline is September 1, but students who plan to be 2023-24 college freshmen are encouraged to get their applications completed as soon as possible after June 1.
• Board of Regents endowed scholarships:
  • Annis Irene Fowler/Kaden Scholarship – Deadline is February 25, 2023.
  • Ardell Bjugstad Scholarship -- Deadline is February 25, 2023.
  • Marlin R. Scarborough Memorial Scholarship  - Deadline is set by each college or university.

To keep track of these scholarships and any other opportunities, students should use the Mapping Your Future Scholarship Tracking Sheet.