South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship
Amount: $7,500 total, distributed over the course of four years
Eligibility: Must be a resident of South Dakota; have ACT composite or superscore of 24 or SAT score of 1180; complete specific high school curriculum requirements with no grade below a “C”; and cumulative HS GPA of at least 3.0.
To apply: Applications can be found on the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship.
Air Force ROTC Scholarship
Amount: 100% tuition and fees for entire undergrad (room and board not included), $900 annually for textbooks and $300 monthly allowance.
Eligibility: Awarded to outstanding high school seniors who excel in the classroom and extracurricular activities. Must have an ACT composite of 26 or SAT score of 1240 and cumulative HS GPA of at least 3.0. Application process includes an interview for students with extensive leadership and extracurricular involvement. Applicants must also take the Air Force fitness test. More details can be found at AFROTC at SDSU and at the Air Force ROTC.
To apply: Applications can be found at Air Force ROTC High School Application. High school senior application dates are June 1 – January 14 annually.
Army ROTC Scholarship
Amount: 100% tuition and fees for entire undergrad or $5,000 per semester, $600 per semester for books and $420 living allowance per month while in school.
Eligibility:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Be between the ages of 17 and 26
- Have a high school GPA of at least 2.50
- Have a high school diploma or equivalent
- Score a minimum of 1000 on the SAT (math/verbal) or 19 on the ACT (excluding the required writing test scores)
- Meet physical standards
- Agree to accept a commission and serve in the Army on Active Duty or in a Reserve Component (Army Reserve or Army National Guard)
To apply: Applications can be found at Four-Year High School Scholarship. High school senior application dates are June 1 – January 14 annually.
Contact your high school counselor or the SDSU Army ROTC Department for more information.
Dakota Corps Scholarship
Amount: Amount will vary – typically equal annually to full tuition and fees.
Eligibility: Must be a resident of South Dakota; U.S Citizen or U.S national; have ACT composite score of 27; graduate from an accredited South Dakota high school with a GPA of at least 2.8; commitment to work in South Dakota in an identified critical need profession. More details can be found on the Dakota Corp Scholarship Program.
To apply: Applications can be found on the Dakota Corps Scholarship Program.
Freedom Scholarship
Amount: $3,000-$5,000; Renewable but amounts may vary depending on student's financial need each year.
Eligibility: Must be a resident of South Dakota. Financial need based on Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information. Recipients must enroll in a bachelor’s degree program and maintain full-time enrollment in both fall and spring semesters.
To apply: Must complete the FAFSA with priority consideration to students who complete it on or before March 1.
Hatterscheidt Scholarship
The Hatterscheidt Scholarship will be awarded to five current seniors graduating from South Dakota high schools as a one-year award valued at $2,500. To be eligible for the Hatterscheidt Scholarship, a student must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a South Dakota Resident; graduating from a SD high school or home school.
- Must show financial need and must apply for Federal Student Aid.
- Must have average minimum high school GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Home school student must have a minimum ACT score of 18 or SAT of 960.
- Must be admitted to South Dakota State University for fall semester following graduation.
- Must plan to be a full time, main campus student planning to take a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.
The 2025-26 application will be available late November. If you have questions or would like to apply, please email SDSU Scholarships email to secure the appropriate application. The deadline to apply for this scholarship will be March 15, 2025.
Horatio Alger Denny Sanford Scholarship
The Horatio Alger Denny Sanford Scholarship provides 25 awards at $10,000 each to be disbursed throughout a student’s collegiate career. Like all Horatio Alger Scholarships, the Horatio Alger Denny Sanford Scholarship assists high school students who have faced great obstacles in their young lives to overcome their adversities, attend a post-secondary institution and achieve success. To be eligible for the Horatio Alger Denny Sanford Scholarship a student must meet the following criteria:
- Be enrolled full-time as a high school senior in the United States with plans to enter South Dakota State University no later than the fall semester following graduation.
- Exhibit a strong commitment to pursue and complete a bachelor's degree at South Dakota State University.
- Demonstrate critical financial need ($55,000 or lower adjusted gross family income is required).
- Be involved in co-curricular and community service activities.
- Display integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity.
- Hold a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.5.
Applications are accepted Dec. 1, 2024 - March 15, 2025. Students may apply at horatioalger.org/scholarships and click on the high school senior application. If there are questions or concerns about this application, please contact scholarships@horatioalger.org.
Smithfield Foods Scholarship
Amount: Scholarships are need based, and the amount is determined by the SDSU Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, based on the unmet financial need demonstrated on the FAFSA form. This scholarship is renewable for a total of four years based on FAFSA calculations reviewed annually.
Eligibility: Students must be admitted to an undergraduate program at SDSU, and be dependent children or grandchildren of current or retired employees of Smithfield Foods. Employees must have worked with the company a minimum of 18 months for their child or dependent grandchild to be eligible.
To apply: Application can be found at Smithfield. Applications are due by May 15 each year.
Additional Opportunities
Visit the Department of Education's Federal Student Aid webpage for additional credible scholarship information. Students can find additional non-SDSU scholarship information at Fastweb and Scholarships.com.