- Colleges
-
Scholarships
- Scholarships Find out how to get scholarship money for college that you don’t need to pay back.
- $2,000 No Essay Scholarship Enter to win our no-essay $2,000 college scholarship in 2 minutes or less.
- Scholly Scholarships Easily find and sort through thousands of college scholarships for free.
- Scholarships for High School Seniors Explore scholarships for high school seniors and get tips on how to apply.
- Scholarships for College Students Find scholarships for college students and get tips on how to apply.
- Scholarship Resources Explore our scholarship resources, articles, and guides.
-
Financial aid
- Financial Aid Grants, work-study, and federal student loans can all be part of your financial aid package.
- FAFSA® Guide Learn how to answer the 2024-25 FAFSA® questions like a pro.
- Financial Aid Offers Compare financial aid offers to determine the most affordable schools for you and your family.
- College Grants Learn more about federal and state grants and how to apply.
- Federal Pell Grants Discover what a Pell Grant is, who is eligible, and how to apply.
- Financial Aid Resources Get expert guidance on maximizing your financial aid options to make education more affordable.
- Pay for School
Scholarships
Top South Dakota scholarships for you
Find South Dakota scholarships that can help you pay for college.
Here’s a scholarship you can apply for in minutes.
Enter $2,000 scholarship*
Here’s a scholarship you can apply for in minutes.
What are South Dakota scholarships?
South Dakota scholarships are financial aid for college created specifically for students living in South Dakota or looking to go to school in South Dakota. South Dakota scholarships can help students attain higher education opportunities that otherwise may be out of reach due to financial reasons. All scholarships are free money for college that you don’t have to pay back.
Eligibility requirements for South Dakota scholarships
Before you apply for South Dakota scholarships, make sure you check the eligibility requirements. To qualify for South Dakota scholarships, you’ll most likely need to prove you’re a resident or you’re attending school in that state. Some other common eligibility requirements may include your GPA, community service, citizenship, plan to attend an accredited program, leadership potential, and submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Scholarship eligibility requirements vary, so don’t assume you won’t qualify. Check them out!
Are South Dakota scholarships worth my time?
Some scholarships are quick and easy to apply for. Others require time and effort. Typically, fewer students apply to scholarships that require work which means you could have better odds of winning.
Pro tip: Don’t skip over South Dakota scholarships with smaller award amounts ($). There’s typically less competition for them—and they add up!
How do I find South Dakota scholarships?
There are many resources to help you find South Dakota scholarships.
Scholarship resources
- The financial aid office at a college or career school
- Organizations (such as professional associations) related to your field of interest
- Federal agencies
- Free scholarship search tools like Scholly Scholarships
- Local libraries, businesses, or associations
Your high school guidance office is a great place to start when looking for local scholarships. You could also try doing a search for your city’s name and “community foundation,” or the county you live in and “foundation.”

Scholly Scholarships
Find scholarships now
Find scholarships that are right for you
Easily search through thousands of college scholarships based on your background, major, state you live in, and more.
Hot tip! Smaller scholarships may have less competition, increasing your odds of winning.
Scholarships for South Dakota
Featured
Apply now
The Scholarships360 $10,000 "No Essay" Scholarship
Due: 6/30/2025
No Essays
$10,000
Elton D. Schafer Scholarship
Due: 12/1/2025
No Essays
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$20,000
The Elton D. Schafer Scholarship will be awarded to outstanding high school seniors from South Dakota each year based on ACT/SAT scores or GPA and extracurricular activities. Students must major in biochemistry, chemistry, physics, or computer science. This scholarship is renewable for four years. Students are chosen through a competitive interview selection process. Students selected to interview must have extensive leadership and extracurricular involvement. The invitation to interview for this competitive scholarship will be sent via the mail to students by December 31. The on-campus interviews take place in late January. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.
University of South Dakota Child of Alumni Program / Legacy Scholarship
Due: Varies
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$1,000
The University of South Dakota Child of Alumni Program / Legacy Scholarship is available to incoming freshman students who are South Dakota residents and whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) graduated from USD. Please note that the Child of Alumni Program / Legacy Scholarship is currently not offered at the USD - Sioux Falls location.
ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship
Due: 4/30/2025
No Essays
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$1,500
The ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship is sponsored by ISL Education Lending, a national nonprofit organization committed to helping students attending college obtain the resources needed to succeed. Recipients are randomly drawn from among all eligible entries. The scholarship is open to either high school seniors in one of the qualifying states; or the parent or legal guardian of one or more high school seniors. They must either attend college classes offered by an eligible college or university that is physically located in the United States of America during the Fall session; or are the parent or legal guardian of a student who will do so. There are no financial need, minimum grade point average or class rank requirements for the ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Iowa State University of Science and Technology Transfer Expedition Award
Due: Varies
No Essays
No Recommendations Required
$6,000
The Iowa State University of Science and Technology Transfer Expedition Award can be stacked with the Transfer Achievement Award or Transfer Success Award. This award is available to new students starting in the Fall of 2024. Preference is given to students who apply by May 1, 2024. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Dian and Harlan Stai Honors Access Scholarship
Due: 12/1/2025
No Essays
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$20,000
The Dian and Harlan Stai Honors Access Scholarship will be awarded to outstanding high school seniors from South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa each year based on ACT/SAT scores or GPA and extracurricular activities. This scholarship is renewable for four years. Students are chosen for Stai Honors through a competitive interview selection process. Students selected to interview must have extensive leadership and extracurricular involvement. Applicants must also submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and qualify as Pell Grant Eligible. Stai Honors Access recipients will be required to participate in the Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College. The invitation to interview for this competitive scholarship will be sent via the mail to students by December 31. The on-campus interviews take place in late January. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.
George S. Mickelson Scholarship
Due: 12/1/2025
No Essays
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
Amount Varies
The George S. Mickelson Scholarship is available to high school seniors with a 28 or higher ACT (1320 SAT). This scholarship covers tuition for a maximum of 15 credit hours per semester (up to 120 hours over four years), general fees, a double occupancy room (funded by a Housing Scholarship), and standard board charges. This scholarship is available for eight consecutive undergraduate semesters and students enrolled in select disciplines are subject to additional fees.
Dian and Harlan Stai Honors Scholarship
Due: 12/1/2025
No Essays
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$20,000
The Dian and Harlan Stai Honors Scholarship will be awarded to outstanding high school seniors from South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa each year based on ACT/SAT scores or GPA and extracurricular activities. This scholarship is renewable for four years. Students are chosen for Stai Honors through a competitive interview selection process. Students selected to interview must have extensive leadership and extracurricular involvement. Stai Honors recipients will be required to participate in the Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College. The invitation to interview for this competitive scholarship will be sent via the mail to students by December 31. The on-campus interviews take place in late January. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.
What types of scholarships are available for students?
Need-based scholarships
These are scholarships for students who have demonstrated a financial need. There’s no universal number or set income level that tells you if you qualify. How each scholarship defines what financial need means varies. The federal government as well as specific organizations, corporations, and colleges/universities/schools offer need-based scholarships.
Merit scholarships
Merit scholarships are for students who have shown high academic, athletic, or extracurricular achievement over their high school careers. Not all schools/colleges offer merit-aid—highly selective schools typically don’t. The process for applying for merit scholarships varies. For merit scholarships offered through colleges and universities, you generally don’t have to do anything other than complete the application to the school itself. For some schools, you need to submit the FAFSA® to be eligible.
Career-specific grants or scholarships
These are awarded to students who know they want a career in a specific industry. Maybe they know they want to be a teacher, a nurse, or an engineer. To be eligible for grants, students must submit the FAFSA®. To find career-specific scholarships, try searching for your major and “association.”
Community or nonprofit scholarships
Nonprofit and community organizations often receive funding from donors to create scholarship programs for students who need them.
Tips for successful scholarship applications
- Pull together everything you need for the application including transcripts, so you can submit a complete scholarship application.
- You may need a recommendation letter or letters for a scholarship. Ask a teacher, employer, or someone else who knows you to write one for you—and be sure to give them enough time to do it.
- If you’re writing a scholarship essay, follow the prompt, answer the essay question completely, and write from your experience. A few well-written essays that you can reuse for different scholarship applications can really pay off.
- Highlight your strengths and achievements in your application.
- Talk about your financial need and what you would use the scholarship money for if you won. How would it help?
- Have to interview for a scholarship? Dress to impress in a professional outfit. And do your research! Look into how/why the scholarship was created. Try to bring up why it’s meaningful to you. Also, don’t forget to send a thank-you note afterwards.
- Keep track of all the deadlines for the scholarships you’re applying to. If you miss one, they may not extend the due date.
- Apply for scholarships year after year, all through college. As you continue your studies, gain more experience, and try new extracurricular activities in college, you might be eligible for more scholarships you weren’t originally qualified for.
Here are more tips that can help you understand all there is to know about scholarships and up your chances of winning.
Frequently asked questions
These tips can help as you get ready to apply for South Dakota scholarships.
When are scholarship application deadlines?
There’s no standard deadline for scholarship applications. Each scholarship has its own deadline, so be sure to keep track of dates and make sure you don’t miss any deadlines of scholarships that you want to apply to.
Do you need to know which college you’re attending?
You don’t need to know which college you’re going to attend before applying for most scholarships. However, once you’re awarded scholarships, some of them may ask for eligibility verification—which can include proof of college enrollment.
Is there a limit on how many scholarships you can apply for?
Absolutely not, so apply for as many as you can to increase your chances of winning free money. Want to find more types of scholarships? There are so many, check them out!
Pro tip: Apply for scholarships each year you’re in college.
Does every scholarship application require an essay?
Not every scholarship will ask you to submit an essay—different scholarships have different requirements. If you’re applying for a scholarship with an essay and need help writing yours, get tips for writing scholarship essays.
Need more money for college?
Private student loans can help you cover additional costs for school.
More resources to explore

Tips for writing scholarship essays
Get tips for writing scholarship essays. Learn what makes a good scholarship essay.

Find scholarship resources
Explore our scholarship resources, articles, and guide to get all the tips and tricks to help pay for college.

Fill out the FAFSA®
Learn when and how to apply for the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to maximize your chances of getting federal student financial aid. Get tips now.
*No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Ends 12/31/2025.
See Official Rules.
FAFSA® is a registered service mark of U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid.