CONSIDERATION PROCESS
Get Started with your School
To be considered for the South Dakota Freedom Scholarship, you need to apply for admission and be accepted at a participating South Dakota institution.
Fill out and Submit your FAFSA
Students will be reviewed for eligibility once admitted and upon completing the FAFSA with their respective schools. From there, your school’s financial aid office will let you know if you’re eligible.
Eligibility Requirements
This scholarship will be available for the 2024-2025 school year. To qualify, students must meet the following requirements:
- Maintain South Dakota residency for at least one year prior to scholarship application
- Attend an eligible institution
- Demonstrate financial need through the completion of your FAFSA
- Pursue a bachelor’s degree
- Maintain a 2.0 college GPA
- Graduate with a bachelor’s degree in five years or less
- Commit in writing to living and working in South Dakota for at least three years after graduation
- Acknowledge that any failure to meet these requirements will result in the scholarship being converted to a 4% fixed-interest loan
Review your Invitation and Accept
Once you receive an invitation to consider the Freedom Scholarship offer from your school, you’ll be asked to complete paperwork to formally accept.
Participating Schools
From Sioux Falls to Spearfish, nearly a dozen South Dakota institutions are eligible for the South Dakota Freedom Scholarship. Find your school, along with information on how to apply through their financial aid office.