FREEDOM GRADUATE VERIFICATION
Congratulations on earning your bachelor’s degree! Your hard work is helping build a stronger future for South Dakota. Now, there are just a few more steps you’ll need to fulfill in order to complete your South Dakota Freedom Scholarship commitment.
What Happens After Graduation?
Graduate
Verify SD residency and employment start date
within six months of graduation.
Notify us of job and address changes as needed.
Verify SD residency and continuous employment
for three years.
After three years of verified SD residency and
employment, your commitment is complete.
Employment and Residency Verification
Every year, for three years (36 months), you will need to complete the residency and employment verification process.
If you do not complete this requirement, you will have to repay your Freedom Scholarship award(s).
It is your responsibility to make sure that we have your current address, phone number, (non-school-affiliated) email address and employer info at all times. If we cannot contact you to complete your annual verification, you will be considered in default and your scholarship will need to be repaid.
You will receive credit toward your balance owed for each month of verified employment for which you also lived in South Dakota.
Don’t stress, though — we’ll send you reminders each year, and we’ve made the process quick and easy.
Extenuating Circumstances Qualifying for Employment Deferment
Continuing Education