SB 72: Legislature Could Spend $2M to Start Needs-Based College Scholarship Program

In real problem-solving, the Appropriations Committee offers Senate Bill 72, which would establish a much-needed need-based scholarship for South Dakota’s college students.

The Dakota Promise Scholarship Program would give undergraduate students at any accredited university or college in South Dakota $2,500 a year—$1,250 from the state matched by private funds raised by the institution—for up to four years. To qualify, students must have been South Dakota residents when they graduated high school, have earned at least a 3.0 GPA in high school and a 22 on the ACT, receive a Pell Grant (a sign of financial need), and take at least 12 credits per semester (except in their final semester, if they don’t need that many credits to graduate). Recipients must stay on pace to graduate in four years (i.e., earn 30 credits per year) and maintain a 2.0 GPA (that’s pretty slack!)

SB 72 authorizes the Regents to take donations to cover the state’s share of the Dakota Promise Scholarship, but Appropriations is willing to launch the program with a two-million-dollar check from the state, enough to match scholarships for 1,600 South Dakota students in need.

Senate Appropriations gets SB 72 first; hearing is yet to be scheduled.