Qualified Applicants Must:
- Graduate from an accredited South Dakota high school with a Grade Point Average (GPA of) 2.8 or greater on a 4.0 scale. Home schooled students will be allowed to provide supplemental information if this requirement is not applicable.
- Have a composite ACT score of 27 or greater (or the SAT equivalent).
- Agree, in writing, to stay in South Dakota and work in a critical need occupation after graduation for as many years as the scholarship was received, plus one year. The current critical need occupations for 2020-2021 are:
- Teacher - High School Math
- Teacher - High School Science
- Teacher - Elementary or Secondary Special Education
- Teacher - High School Career and Technical Education
- Teacher - K-12 Foreign Language
- Teacher - Secondary Language Arts (New in 2020)
- Accountant / Auditor
- Engineer (includes all fields EXCEPT mining)
- Information Technology
- Registered Nurse
- Apply for the Dakota Corps Scholarship for a school period that begins within one year of high school graduation, or within one year of release from active duty of an active component of the armed forces.
- Attend a participating South Dakota college as an undergraduate student in a program that will prepare the student to work in a critical need occupation.
- Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
Among those that qualify, recipients will be chosen based on GPA, test scores, activities, honors, and community service. Not all eligible applicants will be selected for a scholarship. From the total pool of applicants, a limited number of recipients will be selected. Also, some South Dakota colleges may limit the number of scholarship recipients they accept, or not participate at all.