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April 15, 2025 is the deadline to apply for a South Dakota Retailers Association scholarship. Scholarships start at $2,000, and support individuals studying for careers in retail, hospitality, business, or trades. Students who will be enrolled in post-secondary schooling during the fall of 2025 and meet other eligibility criteria* may apply. Designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs, managers, and employees, the South Dakota Retailers Association scholarship program has been a pivotal stepping stone for countless individuals since its 1992 inception. In 2024, the association awarded funds to five students in amounts ranging from $2,750 to $3,700. Over the program’s lifetime, over a quarter of a million dollars has been awarded to 280 recipients. “We know there are many talented people who have an entrepreneurial spirit or who plan to work in a business,” said South Dakota Retailers Executive Director Nathan Sanderson. “Our scholarship program can help launch them on their career path. Investing just a few minutes of time applying for our scholarship could result in an award of $2,000 or more.” If you know a hard-working student in South Dakota who could use a hand reaching their goals, the South Dakota Retailers Association wants to help them succeed! Visit sdra.org/scholarships to download the application and view the full eligibility guidelines, or call (605) 224-5050 for information. Submission deadline is Tuesday, April 15, 2025. WHO IS ELIGIBLE 1. Career in Retail: Applicant must desire a career in a retail or retail-related field as an owner, manager or employee. 2. Type of School: Applicant must enroll in a retail or retail-related course of study at a qualifying accredited technical school, college, university, or certified professional training institute in the fall of 2025. 3. Retail/Retail-Related Field of Study: Examples of fields of study considered to be retail or retail-related include (but are not limited to): Accounting, Agribusiness (retail agribusiness), Apparel Merchandising, Auto Mechanics, Automotive Technology, Business Administration, Business Management, Collision Repair, Computer Science, Commercial Baking, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Diesel Mechanics, Electrical Maintenance, Entrepreneurial Studies, Gemology, Hotel/Restaurant Management, HVAC, Landscape Design, Pharmacy, Photography, Printing Industries, Sales/Marketing Management, and Tourism Industry Management. (NOTE: this list is not all-inclusive.) 4. South Dakota Education - Applicant must meet one or more of these three criteria: • have graduated from a South Dakota high school -OR- • have earned a GED (or other high school equivalency) in South Dakota -OR- • plan to attend post-secondary school in South Dakota 5. Credits / Full-Time Work Experience / or ProStart: Applicant must meet one or more of these four criteria: • have earned 24 or more credits from a qualifying college or university by Sept. 1, 2025 -OR- • have earned 12 or more credits from a qualifying technical college, trade school or certified professional training institute by Sept. 1, 2025 -OR- • have successfully completed ProStart Levels 1 and 2 (high school culinary arts program) -OR- • non-traditional student who has full-time work experience 6. Credit Hours: Student must enroll in 12 or more credit hours of classes at a qualifying post-secondary school or online degree program for the fall of 2025. (Internships do not qualify.) 7. Prior Recipients: Previous recipients are eligible.
April 15, 2025 is the deadline to apply for a South Dakota Retailers Association scholarship. Scholarships start at $2,000, and support individuals studying for careers in retail, hospitality, business, or trades. Students who will be enrolled in post-secondary schooling during the fall of 2025 and meet other eligibility criteria* may apply.
Designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs, managers, and employees, the South Dakota Retailers Association scholarship program has been a pivotal stepping stone for countless individuals since its 1992 inception.
In 2024, the association awarded funds to five students in amounts ranging from $2,750 to $3,700. Over the program’s lifetime, over a quarter of a million dollars has been awarded to 280 recipients.
“We know there are many talented people who have an entrepreneurial spirit or who plan to work in a business,” said South Dakota Retailers Executive Director Nathan Sanderson. “Our scholarship program can help launch them on their career path. Investing just a few minutes of time applying for our scholarship could result in an award of $2,000 or more.”
If you know a hard-working student in South Dakota who could use a hand reaching their goals, the South Dakota Retailers Association wants to help them succeed!
Visit sdra.org/scholarships to download the application and view the full eligibility guidelines, or call (605) 224-5050 for information. Submission deadline is Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE
1. Career in Retail: Applicant must desire a career in a retail or retail-related field as an owner, manager or employee.
2. Type of School: Applicant must enroll in a retail or retail-related course of study at a qualifying accredited technical school, college, university, or certified professional training institute in the fall of 2025.
3. Retail/Retail-Related Field of Study: Examples of fields of study considered to be retail or retail-related include (but are not limited to): Accounting, Agribusiness (retail agribusiness), Apparel Merchandising, Auto Mechanics, Automotive Technology, Business Administration, Business Management, Collision Repair, Computer Science, Commercial Baking, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Diesel Mechanics, Electrical Maintenance, Entrepreneurial Studies, Gemology, Hotel/Restaurant Management, HVAC, Landscape Design, Pharmacy, Photography, Printing Industries, Sales/Marketing Management, and Tourism Industry Management. (NOTE: this list is not all-inclusive.)
4. South Dakota Education - Applicant must meet one or more of these three criteria:
• have graduated from a South Dakota high school -OR-
• have earned a GED (or other high school equivalency) in South Dakota -OR-
• plan to attend post-secondary school in South Dakota
5. Credits / Full-Time Work Experience / or ProStart:
Applicant must meet one or more of these four criteria:
• have earned 24 or more credits from a qualifying college or university by Sept. 1, 2025 -OR-
• have earned 12 or more credits from a qualifying technical college, trade school or certified professional training institute by Sept. 1, 2025 -OR-
• have successfully completed ProStart Levels 1 and 2 (high school culinary arts program) -OR-
• non-traditional student who has full-time work experience
6. Credit Hours: Student must enroll in 12 or more credit hours of classes at a qualifying post-secondary school or online degree program for the fall of 2025. (Internships do not qualify.)
7. Prior Recipients: Previous recipients are eligible.