PIERRE – Forty new South Dakota high school graduates have been awarded Dakota Corps scholarships to pursue careers in critical-need occupations within the state.
Each year, Dakota Corps recipients receive funding equivalent to the cost of tuition and applicable fees at their postsecondary institution. Once graduated, they are required to enter into a critical-need occupation in South Dakota, with terms of service equivalent to the number of years they received the scholarship, plus one year. The scholarships are supported entirely by private donations.
Daxx Wiebelhaus of Letcher received the scholarship and will be attending South Dakota State University.
“These students are giving back to our state with the important work they perform in critical-need occupations,” said Gov. Dennis Daugaard. “Dakota Corps ensures these students are educated in South Dakota, remaining here to provide important services and support for fellow South Dakotans. We are grateful to the private businesses and non-profit organizations that recognized the importance of providing these students with scholarships.”
Current occupations that qualify for Dakota Corps Scholarship support include teaching K-12 special education; teaching K-12 foreign languages; teaching high school math, science, or career and technical education; working as an accountant or auditor; working as an engineer (all fields except mining); working as a registered nurse; or working in the information technology field (computer science, information assurance and information security).
The South Dakota Board of Regents administers the Dakota Corps Scholarship program. For more information about this program, contact the board office at 1-800-874-9033 or send an e-mail to DakotaCorps@sdbor.edu.