Governor Kristi Noem yesterday congratulated 313 students who have been awarded the Build Dakota Scholarship for the 2020-21 school year.

“The Build Dakota Scholarship program is a tremendous opportunity for students and a powerful tool for workforce development,” said Governor Noem. “Students earn degrees in high-demand fields and upon graduation, can immediately begin building their future in South Dakota.”

Build Dakota aims to support students entering high-need workforce programs at South Dakota’s technical colleges to fill the state’s technical career fields with skilled professionals. The scholarships cover tuition and fees, books, equipment, and other related program expenses for eligible programs within nine high-need industry areas at South Dakota’s four technical colleges. Recipients were selected by technical colleges from a total of 1,189 applications.

“The Build Dakota Scholarship program matches today’s students with tomorrow’s careers,” said Dana Dykhouse, chairman of the South Dakota Board of Technical Education. “Our technical colleges are powerhouses for the state workforce. Industry partnerships, through which some businesses sponsor students and commit to pay part of their program expenses, expand the impact of Build Dakota dollars. This year 244 scholarship recipients have an industry partner.

In-state and out-of-state students of all ages are eligible to apply. Scholarship applicants must be accepted into their approved program of interest. Recipients of the scholarship must enroll full-time, complete their educational program on schedule, and commit to stay in South Dakota to work in their field of study for three years following graduation.

Applications for the 2021-22 school year open in January 2021. Find more information on Build Dakota Scholarships here.