The Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation administers more than 70 competitive scholarships each year to help students pursue their educational goals. Scholarships are available for students preparing to graduate from high school, current undergraduate students, and graduate students pursuing additional education.
Application Deadline: March 15, 2027
Applications Open: December 15, 2026
Eligibility:
- Open to students statewide
- High school seniors, current college students, and graduate students may apply
- No specified major or field of study
- No minimum GPA or standardized test score requirement
- Individual scholarship criteria may vary
Applicable Institutions:
All schools / not specified
Questions?
Janie Weyh
Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation
605-336-7055
jweyh@sfacf.org
The Sanford Health Lakota Nation Scholarship supports students dedicated to serving Native American communities by reducing financial barriers to education and fostering academic success. The scholarship encourages future healthcare professionals to provide culturally responsive care and make a positive impact in Tribal Nations. This scholarship opens October 2, 2026.
Eligibility:
- Applicants must be accepted to or enrolled full-time in a health care degree program at an accredited U.S. institution and have at least one semester remaining when applications close in February.
Applicable Institutions:
ANY accredited U.S. institution
Questions:
Jolie Hauck at 605-312-7471 or educationalassistance@sanfordhealth.org
1st Financial Bank USA (1FBUSA) created the Financial Goals Scholarship program to celebrate those who recognize the importance of pursuing educational and financial goals. A $2,000 scholarship is awarded to a new winner each month. To enter, students must submit an essay about a personal finance topic in 500 words. Full rules and eligibility can be found at 1fbusascholarship.com.
Eligibility:
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Be 18 years or older
- Be a high school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student
- Be enrolled or planning to enroll in a college degree program
Field of Study Requirements:
Open to all fields of study
Applicable Institutions:
Any College or University
Questions:
Scholarship Committee at (712) 251-2030 or scholarship@1fbusa.com
The Smithfield Foods Scholarship is a needs-based scholarship offered at the University of South Dakota. Scholarship amounts are needs based, and determined by the USD Financial Aid Office, based on the unmet financial need, up to $7,500.
Eligibility:
- Students must be admitted to an undergraduate program at USD
- Be children or dependent grandchildren of current or retired Smithfield Foods Employees
- Employees must have worked with the company a minimum of 18 months for their child or dependent grandchild to be eligible
- Must show financial need and must apply for federal student aid (complete the FAFSA)
Applicable Institutions:
University of South Dakota
Questions:
Cori Hup at (605) 658-6214 or cori.hup@usd.edu
The Hatterscheidt Scholarship is one-year $2,500 award for South Dakota high school seniors attending the University of South Dakota, based on financial need and academic achievement.
Eligibility:
- Must be a South Dakota resident and be graduating from a South Dakota high school or home school.
- Must show financial need and must apply for federal student aid (complete the FAFSA).
- 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 the University of South Dakota 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.
Applicable Institutions:
University of South Dakota
Questions:
Cori Hup at (605) 658-6214 or cori.hup@usd.edu
At USD, you can benefit from the Coyote Beginnings program. All first-time freshman students who apply for fall admission to USD are automatically considered for up to $4,000 per year. Coyote Beginnings is available to recipients for up to four years as a full-time student and is based on GPA, standardized test scores and committee review.
Students at USD – Sioux Falls can now benefit from the Coyote Beginnings program. All first-time freshman students who apply for fall admission to USD – Sioux Falls are automatically considered for up to $2,000 per year. Coyote Beginnings is available to recipients for up to four years as a full-time student and is based on GPA and committee review.
The Coyote Beginnings may include a combination of funding from other scholarships or additional sources awarded to you. To receive full consideration, apply to the University of South Dakota by April 1. Applications submitted after this date will be reviewed for any remaining funds, if available. No separate application is required for this award—your eligibility will be automatically assessed based on your admissions application.
Eligibility:
- Be admitted to the University of South Dakota as a first-time, degree-seeking freshman
- Graduate from high school (or equivalent) prior to enrollment
- Enroll full time at USD (typically defined as 12 or more credit hours per semester)
- Submit a completed USD admission application (full consideration if application is submitted by April 1)
- No separate scholarship application is required
- Meet academic criteria used for award determination, which may include:
- High school GPA
- ACT or SAT scores (if submitted)
Applicable Institutions:
University of South Dakota
Questions:
Cori Hup at (605) 658-6214 or cori.hup@usd.edu
The Horatio Alger Denny Sanford Scholarship provides 12 awards at $20,000 each to be disbursed throughout a student’s collegiate career at the University of South Dakota. 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.
Eligibility:
- Be committed to complete a bachelor’s degree at University of South Dakota
- Be enrolled full time as a high school student in the United States; be progressing normally toward graduation with plans to enter a college in the United States no later than the fall following graduation
- Demonstrate critical financial need ($65,000 or less family income required)
- Be involved in community service activities
- Display integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity
- Maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.5
- Be a United States citizen
Applicable Institutions:
University of South Dakota
Questions:
Cori Hup at (605) 658-6214 or cori.hup@usd.edu
The University of South Dakota offers a limited number of Legacy Scholarships to incoming first-year students who are South Dakota residents and whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) graduated from USD. This one-time $1,000 scholarship recognizes students with a family connection to the university.
Eligibility:
- Be an incoming first-year student at USD
- Be a South Dakota resident
- Have at least one parent or legal guardian who graduated from USD
Applicable Institutions:
University of South Dakota
Questions:
Cori Hup at 605-658-6214 or cori.hup@usd.edu
The University of South Dakota offers the Dual Credit Scholarship to students who completed high school dual credit courses through USD and enroll as first-time, full-time USD students. Scholarship amounts are based on the number of USD dual credit hours completed.
Eligibility:
- Earn a C or higher in high school dual credit courses. Courses completed with a D, F or W do not count toward scholarship eligibility.
- Enroll at USD as a first-time, full-time student.
Award Amounts:
- Award amounts will be based on how many credit hours the students have completed with USD
- 1-6 USD credit hours, $600 total ($150 per year)
- 7-12 USD credit hours, $1,100 total ($275 per year)
- 13+ USD credit hours, $1,600 total ($400 per year)
Applicable Institutions:
University of South Dakota
Questions:
Cori Hup at 605-658-6214 or cori.hup@usd.edu
South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF) manages a wide variety of scholarships, connecting students to opportunities made possible through the generosity of our donors.
To apply, students should visit SDCommunityFoundation.org/Scholarships.
On the SDCF Scholarships tab, they should create a username and password on the For Students link. They will then complete a common application, which identifies the scholarships available for their high school. The system automatically matches students to potential scholarships, and students can review these matches to confirm their eligibility before applying.
Eligibility:
Each scholarship has its own eligibility criteria.
Applicable Institutions:
Each scholarship may be applied to various institutions, including colleges, universities, or technical colleges.
Questions:
Kelly Nelson at 605-224-1025 or
knelson@sdcommunityfoundation.org
