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Outside Scholarships

Outside Scholarship Processing

Do you have an outside scholarship? The Lake Area Tech Foundation Office processes all outside scholarships that students receive from private and nonprofit institutions, corporations, or other organizations. Students with an outside scholarship should bring their check or copy of the award letter to the Foundation office to ensure it is applied to their account.

Students with an outside scholarship shall complete the Outside Scholarships Form on MyPortal (use your Lake Area Tech long-in credentials).

Outside Scholarships Form

Outside Scholarship Opportunities

In addition to internal scholarship opportunities offered through Lake Area Tech, there are many outside scholarships* offered to students attending college by local, regional, state, and nationwide businesses and organizations. Our Financial Aid office at Lake Area Tech has compiled a list of scholarship opportunities below that are available to incoming and returning students. Students wishing to apply for one or more of these scholarships will need to apply for each scholarship individually. It takes a fair amount of time to apply, however the payoff can be tremendous!

*Disclaimer: This information is provided as a service. LATC does not necessarily endorse any of the businesses, organizations, or scholarships listed below. Students are encouraged to research specific scholarships of interest. Please contact the LATC Financial Aid Office for more information.

South Dakota Scholarships

The following scholarships provide students attending South Dakota post-secondary colleges amazing opportunities! Build Dakota is a full-ride scholarship. We urge students to learn more about these opportunities through each of the respective websites (links below). Recipients of these scholarships graduate from college nearly or completely debt-free!

Build Dakota Scholarship

Deadline: March 31

  • Full-ride scholarship covering tuition & fees, books, and other required program requirements
  • For students enrolled in a high-need workforce area program at one of the four technical institutes
  • Enroll in a program determined to be a high-need workforce area
  • Work full-time in South Dakota for a minimum of three years
  • Programs may change – check website for the latest information

More information: https://www.builddakotascholarships.com/

Check out LATC’s Build Dakota Scholarship page: Build Dakota Scholarships

Jump Start Scholarship

Deadline: September 1

  • Students who graduate from a South Dakota public high school in 3 years or less
  • No student who enrolls in any part of 4th year of high school is eligible
  • Enroll in an accredited institution located in South Dakota within 1 year of high school graduation.
  • Must be a South Dakota resident
  • Applicable to first year only
  • Dollar amount varies and is based on state’s per student cost to educate

Apply at: https://www.sdbor.edu/

South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship

Deadline: September 1

  • Attend a postsecondary school in South Dakota
  • $1,500 for 3 years and $3,000 for final year
  • Must be a South Dakota resident
  • Eligibility requirements include minimum GPA, minimum ACT scores, curriculum requirements, etc.

Apply at: https://sdos.sdbor.edu/

Other South Dakota & Regional Scholarships

There are several scholarships that are specifically for students enrolled in South Dakota post-secondary schools. This is a general overview of each of those scholarships. For more detailed information, including eligibility criteria, please check out the specific scholarship website.

Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation Scholarships

The Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation awards more than 150 scholarships each year. Whether you’re a current high school senior, a current college student, or you’re obtaining a general equivalency diploma (GED), their organization offers scholarships to help you achieve your educational goals.

Apply online at https://www.sfacf.org/grants-scholarships/scholarships

Dakota Corps Scholarship*

Deadline: December 15

The Dakota Corps Scholarship Program was created to encourage South Dakota’s high school graduates to:

  • Obtain their postsecondary education in South Dakota
  • Remain in the state upon completion of their education
  • Contribute to the state of South Dakota and its citizens by working in a critical need occupation

Link to apply: https://www.sdbor.edu/dakotacorps/Pages/How-Do-I-Apply.aspx

Freedom Scholarship*

The Freedom Scholarship offers a statewide opportunity for students to help pay for college, as they help build South Dakota’s workforce. By demonstrating financial need and meeting scholarship requirements, students can use the scholarship toward any bachelor’s degree.

Link to apply: https://www.freedomscholarshipsd.com/process

Franklin Krause New Horizons Scholarship

The Franklin Krause Foundation and the Franklin Krause New Horizons Scholarship Fund have been established to support organizations, projects and students in Custer and Roberts Counties in South Dakota and Richland County in North Dakota and surrounding counties.

Link to apply: https://franklinkrausefoundation.org

*These scholarships apply to students entering a four-year university. See the links for participating Board of Regents post-secondary institutions.

Other Scholarship Listings

Bi Scholarship Opportunity

In an effort to nurture healthy communities and a prosperous society, Utopia Management endeavors to support higher education through this bi-annual $1000 scholarship. Utopia has been a strong supporter of higher education since 2010 through multiple scholarships and employee continuing education grants. Awarded every spring and fall, the scholarship is meant to support dedicated students in acquiring a career-oriented degree.

  • FALL Application Deadline: November 1
  • FALL Winner Contacted: December 1
  • FALL Winner Announced on Site: December 5
  • SPRING Applications Open: November 2
  • SPRING Application Deadline: May 1
  • SPRING Scholarship Awarded: June 1

Apply at: https://utopiamanagement.com/utopia-scholars-fund-application

DEWALT Trades Scholarship

Deadline: January 17, 2024

Stanley Black & Decker has established the DEWALT Trades Scholarship to assist individuals attending a two-year college or vocational-technical school who are pursuing a trade degree/certificate in an industry aligned with the Stanley Black & Decker Trade Goals – including but are not limited to Construction, Industrial, Motor/Power Sector, Mechanics, and Technology.

This program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor, and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.

Apply at: https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/dewalttrade/

AmericanMuscle’s Student Scholarship Program

Deadline: June 15 for Fall Semester, October 15 for Spring Semester.

Scholarships are restricted to those students pursuing an automotive degree or related field of study. Only students currently enrolled full-time in an American college, Canadian college, automotive engineering program, trade school, technical institute, or high school seniors planning to attend a college or post-secondary institution are eligible to be awarded a scholarship through this program. One scholarship for $2,500 will be awarded twice a year to students pursuing an automotive themed major. One scholarship will be awarded every spring semester, followed by one additional scholarship to be awarded for the Fall semester each year.

Apply at: https://www.americanmuscle.com/scholarships

AmericanTrucks Student Scholarship Program

Deadline: June 15 for Fall Semester, October 15 for Spring Semester.

Currently enrolled full-time in an accredited United States technical institute, 2 or 4 year college or university. With program in construction management, secondary vo-tech school or tuition bearing apprenticeship program in the traditional building trades (e.g. carpentry, HVAC, electrical or related fields of study.) Students pursuing certificate programs, apprenticeship programs, and students currently attending high school and will be attending an accredited school in the next academic year to one of the aforementioned programs are welcome to apply. One scholarship in the amount of $2,500 will be awarded for the Fall semester, and 1 scholarship will be awarded for the Spring semester each year.

Apply Here

TC Energy Build Strong Scholarships

Our scholarships are a convenient way to get financial support for school. Now with 750+ scholarships available across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, you could receive a scholarship valued at up to $5,000.

TC Energy is proud to help build strong communities, develop the next generation of community leaders and provide a skilled workforce for our industry.

  • Enrolled in a post-secondary institution for the up-coming academic year
  • A citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.
  • Located in a community near TC Energy’s operations or projects
  • Would benefit from supplementary education funding

Check out the pre-qualification form here

Indigenous Education, Inc. – Cobell Scholarship

Deadline: Varies

Both merit-based and need-based, the competitive Cobell Scholarship is annual, non-renewable, and available to any post-secondary (after high school) student who is enrolled in full time study and is degree-seeking. Applicants must plan to attend or be attending any nationally, regionally and industry accredited non-profit, public, private institution.

Scholarship awards vary each year | Apply at: cobellscholar.org

American Indian College Fund Scholarships

Deadline: See Website (link below)

The Association on American Indian Affairs has been providing Native American student scholarships since 1947 ​and provides scholarships to undergraduate and graduate Native American students who are citizens of their Tribal Nation – whether or not their Nation is recognized by the federal government.

Learn more/read eligibility criteria: https://www.indian-affairs.org/nativescholarship.html

Free Scholarship Search Engines and Scholarship Search Tips

Additionally, we’ve provided a list of reputable search engines below that may be useful in finding other scholarship opportunities. Please take time to explore the opportunities offered through these search engines. Consider your talents (e.g., academics, athletic, fine arts, etc.) and apply for scholarship in these areas.

Mapping Your Future, a nonprofit organization committed to helping students, families, and schools navigate the higher education and financial aid process, has created a Scholarship Search Tips flier to help you find ways to fund your college education through their free scholarship search tips. It also includes helpful advice on scams.

We know searching for applicable scholarships can be overwhelming! Our best advice is to start in your hometown and explore all of the scholarship opportunities offered there. The following tips from Federal Student Aid will help get the search started off on the right foot. Consider your local:

  • Churches
  • Clubs/organizations (such as Rotary)
  • Foundations
  • Businesses
  • Your high school counselor’s office 
  • Your local library’s reference section
  • Your parents’ place of employment

Scholarship Scam Alert Information

The internet holds a vast amount of information regarding scholarship opportunities. We caution you, however, to use your discretion as not all sites are reputable (i.e., those that ask for a registration fee and/or offer guarantees). Start with our list!

*Disclaimer: This information is provided as a service. LATC does not necessarily endorse any of the businesses, organizations, or scholarships listed. Students are encouraged to research specific scholarships of interest. Please contact the LATC Financial Aid Office for more information.