Financial aid comes in the form of grants, scholarships, loans and work-study jobs. Learn more about these opportunities below.
Scholarships
Scholarships are a form of financial aid that does not have to be repaid or earned through employment. Scholarship usually refers to an award based on academic merit; however, scholarships are also awarded for performing community service, leadership, talent, etc.
Access over 1.5 million scholarships to help you pay for college.
College Board Scholarship Search
Find scholarships, other financial aid and internships from more than 2,200 programs, totaling nearly $6 billion.
Search for national, state, and local scholarships plus scholarship essay examples and financial aid resources.
RaiseMe allows students to earn scholarships from colleges for the things that best prepare you to succeed in high school, like having perfect attendance, getting an A in a class, participating in an extracurricular activity, and more.
Build Dakota gives students entering South Dakota tech schools an opportunity to plan a foundation for their future. You’ll come out of school with no student debt and a set of skills in high demand, so you’ll be ready to hit the ground running and start your career right away.
South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship
The South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship provides up to $6,500 over four years to a qualifying student who attends an eligible higher education institution in South Dakota.
The Dakota Corps Scholarship covers tuition and generally applicable fees for eligible students who complete their undergraduate degree 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 occupation.
Federal Student Aid
Thousands of schools across the country participate in federal student aid programs; ask the schools you’re interested in whether they do!
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The FAFSA form is a free application used to apply for federal student aid, such as federal grants, loans, and work-study.
Grants are financial aid, often based on need, that does not need to be repaid (unless, for example, you withdraw from school and owe a refund).
Subsidized loans are based on financial need for which the federal government generally pays the interest that accrues while the borrower is in an in-school, grace, or deferment status, and during certain periods of repayment under certain income-driven repayment plans.
Unsubsidized loans mean the borrower is fully responsible for paying the interest regardless of the loan status. Interest on unsubsidized loans accrues from the date of disbursement and continues throughout the life of the loan.
A federal student aid program that provides part-time employment while a student is enrolled in school to help pay your education expenses.
Net price calculators are available on a college’s or university’s website and allow prospective students to enter information about themselves to find out what students like them paid to attend the institution in the previous year, after taking grants and scholarship aid into account.
