Critical Teaching Needs Scholarship

The Critical Teaching Needs Scholarship is a scholarship program funded by the state of South Dakota. It was established in 2013 by the legislature. This scholarship was approved to encourage South Dakota’s high school graduates to:

Obtain their post secondary education in South Dakota,
Remain in the state upon completion of their education, and
Contribute to the state of South Dakota and its citizens by working in a critical need teaching occupation.

Field of Study Requirements:

Teaching K-12 Special Education
Teaching High School Math or Science
Teaching High School Career and Technical Education
Teaching Secondary Language Arts
Teaching Secondary World Language
Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) or English Language Learners (ELL)
Teaching K-12 Vocal or Instrumental Music

Initial Eligibility Requirements:

Agree in writing to stay in South Dakota and work in a critical teaching need occupation for five years after graduating from a participating post-secondary institution
Agree, through a promissory note, that failure to abide by the employment requirement above will result in the scholarship being converted into an interest-bearing loan
Be fully admitted in an elementary or secondary education program at the institution that is preparing you to work in a critical need teaching area
Attend a participating South Dakota post-secondary institution as an undergraduate enrolled in either your third or fourth year of a traditional four-year program
Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident
Have a minimum cumulative 2.8 GPA on 4.0 scale, and an average of 2.8 GPA for all major coursework

Contact Information: